National drug policy 2015 to 2020

Overview Over a lifetime, 44 percent of New Zealanders will try an illegal drug and 93 percent will drink alcohol.  While not every instance of alcohol and other drug use is harmful, the effects of these substances can be significant. They contribute to immediate harms such as car crashes, as well as long term harm such as health conditions and family breakdown.  Alcohol and other drug issues are closely intertwined with social factors such as income, employment, housing and education.  This means that effective government intervention requires a cross-agency response.  The National Drug Policy 2015 – 2020 is the guiding document for policies and practices responding to alcohol and other drug issues.  The Government will use the Policy to prioritise resources and assess the effectiveness of the actions taken by agencies and front-line services. The Policy aims to guide decision-making by local services, communities and NGOs, to improve collaboration and maximise the effectiveness of the system as a whole.  To do this, the Policy sets a shared goal, objectives, strategies and priorities for action over the next five years