A recent Vaping in New Zealand Youth Survey reveals that the vaping rates from school years 9-13 have dropped significantly to 12 percent - down from 27 percent in 2021.
Despite this, vaping has increased amongst older students, pointing to an ineffective and outdated system of education against vaping. The government's gradual implementation of a child-safety mechanism and lowering the nicotine strength indicates a serious problem which needs to be addressed.
Sasha spoke to Letitia Harding, CEO of the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation NZ about the survey findings and strategies to reduce harm.
Just less than two weeks ago, two new drug use surveys have been released, showing significant increases in drug use and availability, especially cocaine.
In the past five years, drug prices have continued to fall and in turn use for some substances have almost doubled. The nearly fifty-year-old drug law is outdated and has resulted in greater supply and addiction. The government’s current approach of infrequent drug busts and supply restrictions are ineffective at preventing that.
Sasha spoke to The New Zealand Drug Foundations Executive Director, Sarah Helm, about the new survey results and issues surrounding safe use.
For their regular catch-up, Oto spoke to the Green Party’s Ricardo Menéndez March the recent COVID-19 Response Inquiry report, which was just released to the public, the government’s new initiative to get people on the jobseeker benefit into work and the New Zealand Transport Agency’s plan to increase public transport fares.
And he spoke to Associate Professor Helen Petousis-Harris, also about the COVID-19 Response Inquiry, with a specific focus on the role that misinformation played in shaping the government’s response and the public’s perception of lockdown measures.
Sasha spoke to Sarah Helm, Executive Director of The NZ Drug Foundation about a concerning increase in drug use and availability
And he spoke to Letitia Harding - CEO of the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation about youth vaping rates
Last week, the first phase of the royal commission of inquiry into New Zealand’s covid response was released to the public.
The report looked at the lockdowns, the border response and vaccine mandates and made 39 recommendations on how New Zealand could plan for future infectious disease outbreaks more effectively.
The inquiry concluded that New Zealand’s COVID-19 response began successfully, bringing our fatality rates to among the lowest in the world. However, the report also said that many amongst the general public had concerns regarding the lockdowns and vaccine safety, and that recent job cuts at Te Whatu Ora - Health New Zealand, would reduce New Zealand’s preparedness for future pandemics.
For their weekly catchup, Oto spoke to the Green Party’s Ricardo Menendez-March about the party's thoughts on the COVID-19 Response Inquiry.
They also talked about a new initiative by the government to get people of the jobseeker benefit and into work, as well as a directive by Waka Kotahi - The New Zealand Transport Agency, to increase public transport fares.
Last week, the first phase of the royal commission of inquiry into New Zealand’s covid response was released to the public.
The report looked at the lockdowns, the border response and vaccine mandates and made 39 recommendations on how New Zealand could plan for future infectious disease outbreaks more effectively.
The report also made numerous references to the impacts of fake news and misinformation, regarding vaccines and the origins of COVID-19 which had impacts on the ability of medical staff to carry out their responsibilities and lead to unrest during New Zealand's second lockdown in 2021.
However, while addressing it earlier in the report, the recommendations made to the government in the inquiry had no references to the role of misinformation in the pandemic or how to address it in future infectious disease outbreaks.
Oto spoke to Helen Petousis-Harris, an associate professor at the University of Auckland, to discuss the prevalence of misinformation during the pandemic and how the inquiry report failed to address it in its 39 recommendations to the government.
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