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Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne has congratulated the team at the New Zealand Formulary as the number of users of this excellent resource has surpassed  the 1 million mark.

The New Zealand Formulary has been developed as part of the government's medicines strategy, Medicines New Zealand, aimed at achieving best use of medicines for optimal health outcomes. The Formulary provides an up-to-date, comprehensive and New Zealand-specific medicines information resource for New Zealanders, health professionals in particular.

Latest provisional figures from the Chief Coroner for the year ending 30 June 2014, show an encouraging decline in the number of deaths by suicide among young people aged between 15 and 24 years with 110 suicides compared with 144 last year. The figures also suggest that suicide deaths amongst Māori may have stabilised as have suicide deaths in Christchurch, which, like last year’s figures, are back to pre-earthquake levels.

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne has criticised ‘misleading and emotive’ statements on medicinal cannabis from pro-cannabis groups.

“These groups claim the government is blocking research and development of cannabis-based pharmaceuticals. That is not only absolutely wrong, but also shows a woeful ignorance of the process for approving any new medicinal products” says Mr Dunne.

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne is to attend and address the Global Commission on Drug Policy special session at the 20^th International AIDS Conference in Melbourne tomorrow. He has been invited to speak on New Zealand’s regulated approach to controlling psychoactive substances.

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne has announced changes introduced under the Medicines Amendment Act 2013 and the Misuse of Drugs Amendment Regulations 2014 broadening the scope for prescribing by nurse practitioners, optometrists and midwives that come into force tomorrow.

Courts Minister Chester Borrows and Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne announced today that the Government has agreed to the recommendations in the Law Commission’s recent report on suicide reporting.

The Government asked the Commission to review the issue, including the role of social media in discussing suicide.

The Law Commission’s report, released in April, recommended a number of changes to clarify and improve the law governing suicide reporting. Its proposals included revised reporting restrictions focused on the details most likely to cause harm.

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne has announced today that when parliament resumes the government will introduce and pass under urgency legislation removing from sale all remaining so called ‘legal highs’.

“While there has been a substantial reduction in the number of these products available and the number of outlets from which they can be sold, reports of severe adverse reactions continue to be received by the National Poisons Centre and Centre for Adverse Reactions Monitoring” says Mr Dunne.

Courts Minister Chester Borrows and Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne have welcomed the Law Commission’s report reviewing the rules that govern how the media report on suspected suicides.

The Government asked the Law Commission to conduct the review examining this issue and to look at the role of social media in discussing suicide.

“I would like to thank the Law Commission for its thorough assessment of the law governing this very delicate subject,” says Mr Borrows.

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne has refuted entirely claims by the opposition that Problem Gambling Foundation funding is being cut due to political pressure.

“The Ministry of Health clearly signalled in 2012 that it would go to the market for the provision of gambling harm minimisation services during its public consultation on this issue, and this is the outcome of that process”, says Mr Dunne.

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne has welcomed the Psychoactive Substances Regulatory Authority’s (PSRA) decision to suspend the interim retail licences for 6 psychoactive substance product retailers in the Hamilton area.

Following a meeting on Wednesday evening with Hamilton MPs Tim Macindoe and David Bennett, who strongly reiterated the need for prompt action in responding to the Hamilton City Council locally approved product policy (LAPP), the PSRA again contacted the Hamilton City Council seeking clarification on retail outlets contravening the new Council plan.

Former rugby league coach and businessman Graham Lowe ONZM, QSM has been appointed to chair a forum which will consider whether further restrictions should be placed on the marketing of alcohol.

The Ministerial Forum on Alcohol Advertising and Sponsorship will gather evidence and expert advice about the effectiveness of possible advertising or sponsorship controls.

Justice Minister Judith Collins says Cabinet agreed to the forum in 2011 when the alcohol reform legislation was being considered by Parliament.

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne has welcomed the release of a consultation paper on Regulations to the Psychoactive Substances Act 2013.

The paper, prepared by the Psychoactive Substances Regulatory Authority, seeks feedback to help shape the final regulatory powers alongside the Act and ensure robust, future-proof controls are in place to regulate the psychoactive substance market.

Communities are going to be better supported to cope with the loss of a major employer or industry through an initiative being trialled in the new suicide prevention plan launched by Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne today.

‘Unemployment is a known risk factor for suicide and in New Zealand, there is a high co-relation between unemployment and youth suicide, particularly among young Māori males.

“Communities that are particularly dependent on one employer or industry are also particularly vulnerable if that employer or industry fails.

Eight million dollars will be spent over the next four years supporting Māori and Pasifika communities on developing their own solutions to suicide, Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne said today.

In launching the New Zealand Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2013 to 2016, Mr Dunne said a non-government organisation will be contracted to develop suicide prevention services that will help Maori whanau, hapu, iwi, and Pasifika families and communities prevent suicide.

An $8 million four-year programme to strengthen Māori and Pasifika communities; support for anyone who loses a family member to suicide and a pilot programme supporting small communities losing a major industry or employer are among 30 initiatives in the new national suicide prevention plan launched by Associate Minister of Health Peter Dunne today.

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne wants to push the Psychoactive Substances Bill through Parliament faster than planned when it returns from the select committee in mid-June, with the aim of having the legislation in place in July.

“As I have said, we need to get this law right. It is about the health of young New Zealanders using legal highs, and it is world-leading legislation. No one else has done anything like it,” Mr Dunne said.

Internal Affairs Minister Chris Tremain and Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne today released details of the Government’s $55.3 million, three-year gambling harm strategy to be funded and implemented by the Health Ministry, and recouped from the gambling industry through the problem gambling levy.

“Essentially the problem gambling levy is a mechanism to recover the costs from the gambling industry as part of the Government’s continuing commitment to addressing the important issue of gambling harm,” Mr Tremain says.

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne today announced the make-up of the interim expert advisory committee that will help set the safety testing regime for legal highs under the incoming Psychoactive Substances Bill.

Associate Health Ministers Jo Goodhew and Peter Dunne are welcoming the Health Promotion Agency’s (HPA) new campaign aimed at supporting New Zealanders who want to ‘Ease up on the drink’.

“‘Yeah Nah’ is a uniquely Kiwi expression and enables us to promote messages in an engaging way instead of preaching to Kiwis to drink less,” says Mrs Goodhew, who has delegated responsibility for the HPA.

Samples of the new K2 synthetic cannabis products that hit the market today to replace products banned yesterday have already been purchased for testing, Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne said today.

“It is a cat-and-mouse game for now and if the industry wants to play it, we will play it too until we get the Psychoactive Substances Bill into law in August to fix this situation,” he said.

Mr Dunne said he had instructed officials this morning to secure samples of the new K2 products for testing immediately they showed up in stores.

Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne today announced a Temporary Class Drug Notice banning more substances found in tested samples of K2 synthetic cannabis.

The ban on two substances, which will come into effect on Thursday, 9 May, brings to 35 the number of substances banned under temporary notices and more than 50 products containing those substances are now off the market.

There are promising indications that fewer people are drinking and younger people are drinking more responsibly, Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne said today.

A Ministry of Health survey, undertaken in 2011/12, shows 80% of the population report consuming alcohol, down from 84% in the 2006/07 health survey.

All age groups reported falls in the numbers drinking in the past year, but it was particularly notable in under-age drinkers from 15 to 17 years old.

Today is the beginning of the end of an unregulated legal highs industry, and young New Zealanders will be the safer for it, Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne said at the first reading of the Psychoactive Substances Bill in Parliament.

“Over the last 20 years, New Zealand and other countries have been facing an acceleration in the development of new recreational drugs, and the situation, as I have said regularly has been one of authorities trying to play catch-up to keep people safe.

The Psychoactive Substances Bill introduced to Parliament today will mean legal highs have to be proved safe before they can be sold, Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne has announced.

“The Bill will be a complete game-changer in terms of party pills and other legal highs,” Mr Dunne said.

“It is about moving from constantly playing catch-up with this industry on each new product they produce, to reversing the onus of proof – now they will have to prove every product is safe before it goes on sale.