Much ado about nothing
Radio NZ reports:
Booze industry lobbyists have been granted input into the development of alcohol policies, including how to deal with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
This is framed to seem like something bad, but all it means is that the very industry being regulated gets consulted on regulations that affect them. They don't get any special access. They simply are one of many stakeholders.
The hard left activists think that companies which make money are inherently evil and should never be allowed to have a say on regulations that affect them. But this is preposterous. Of course those impacted by regulations should be allowed to have a say on them.
Documents obtained by RNZ also show that references to a review of safe drinking guidelines were removed from an Health New Zealand website after an alcohol lobbyist complained to Ross Bell, a manager with the Ministry of Health's Public Health Agency.
Further down you learn the reason why. Nothing to do with all powerful alcohol lobbyists. It is simply that the review was a matter for the Ministry of Health, not Health NZ. And that Ministers had not agreed to a review. So Health NZ had incorrect information on their website, which got corrected.
An October 2024 email from New Zealand Winegrowers to Bell, which copies in a lobbyist with the spirits industry, shows the extent to which alcohol lobbyists are involved in the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) strategy.
'Appreciate the link to the speech and FASD initiatives,' the wine industry lobbyist says. 'We'd be interested in discussing the opportunity for industry engagement in the refresh of the action plan, as we were involved in the development of the initial plan.'
FASD affects about 1800 babies a year in New Zealand. The alcohol industry fought a 20 year battle against product labels warning pregnant women not to drink, before they finally became compulsory in 2023.
No one wants kids born with FASD. If the Government and industry want the same outcome, why would you not engage with them. This does not mean you agree with them – just engagement. Engagement is good.
As for the issue of warning labels, it is (in my view) one of those initiatives that is entirely ineffective. To think that a warning label about drinking while pregnant will have an impact, you need to believe the following: The pregnant woman genuinely doesn't know she shouldn't drink when pregnant
She is purchasing alcohol from a bottle, rather than at a bar or restaurant in a glass
She picks up her bottle of wine (or beer) and before drinking from it, reads the various logos and info on the label
She sees the no drinking while pregnant logo and realises she should not be drinking, and then puts down the bottle she has purchased, and leaves it undrunk
This is a classic issue and example of why you do want to consult with industry. Sticking another logo on labels can have large compliance costs, and actually make no difference at all to FASD. I bet you there is no peer reviewed evidence anywhere that these warnings on bottles have led to a decrease of FASD.
There are many good initiatives you could take to reduce FASD. Information at Plunket. Targeted advertising. Television advertising. Whanua Ora funded programmes etc.
The story makes it seem like the industry is against reducing FASD levels, as opposed to wanting initiatives to be ones that actually will make a difference.
The documents also show that the alcohol industry has input into how the Ministry of Health spends the alcohol levy, a ring-fenced fund of $16.6 million, used to support alcohol harm reduction measures.
Bell emailed lobbyists with the wine and beer industries in November 2024, giving them information about the alcohol levy process and calling for their input.
Of course they get consulted – they pay the levy into the fund. Just as Telcos get consulted on how the Telco levy is spent.
Consultation is not decision making. It is government best practice.
Alcohol is a legal product in NZ, and is enjoyed by the vast majority of NZers. It is a minority, not a majority, that abuse alcohol. Why should a vineyard not be consulted on how a levy they pay, is used?
The documents show lobbyists from the beer, wine and spirits industries also secured a meeting with health officials on 'the development of New Zealand's position' at a United Nations meeting.
It is the job of officials to meet with any interested party, to developed positions on an issue. I am sure they also had scores of meeting with public health activists.
What this is about is the activists don't want any contrary views to their own to be heard or considered.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RNZ News
3 days ago
- RNZ News
'It's very therapeutic for the people' - first full knee replacement surgery in Far North town
Erica Whyte and her surgeon Dr Rob Coup. Photo: Supplied / Health NZ A woman who has had the first full knee replacement surgery in the Far North town of Kaitaia says being able to have the operation in her own community - supported by whanau - was a "therapeutic" and "holistic" experience. Kaitaia Hospital has recently become the first rural hospital in Northland to have capacity for knee replacement surgery - years after hip joint replacement surgery first became available in Kaitaia in 2018. Health New Zealand (HNZ) said the achievement is a major step forward in expanding advanced surgical care closer to home for Far North residents. Surgeons travel to Kaitaia from Whangārei once every one to two weeks to do the operations. Seventy-year-old Coopers Beach local Erica Whyte, who had her left knee operated on in Whangārei in 2019, said the surgery on her right knee last month was a much more comfortable experience. "Being close to the hospital, being part of the big whanau community up in the far north, and going to a local hospital and having surgery there, it was totally different to driving down to Whangārei, anybody wanted to visit me was a four hour round-trip, Kaitaia was half an hour to come visit me," she said. "Just the ability to be able to be in your own community, to have medical treatment, it's just holistic and it's very therapeutic for the people," she added. Four weeks on from the operation, Whyte said she can now walk without aid and has a 100 percent bend in her knee. Whyte said she was stoked for locals, particularly those living on the Aupōuri Peninsula - who would have needed to travel three hours on a bumpy road to get to Whangārei for treatment. "When you're only a few days post surgery, it's a painful operation, it's not something you want to spend two or three hours sitting in a car on the way home, so for me to spend half an hour [being driven] home, was fantastic," she said. The Kaitaia theatre team with Dr Coup. Photo: Supplied / Health NZ Whyte, who has arthritis, said she first got onto the waiting list for knee replacement in 2018, and it was over a year's wait until she got her more severely affected left knee replaced in late 2019. She said the pain in her right knee was manageable for some years, until it deteriorated in the middle of last year when she became reliant on a walking pole, painkillers and anti-inflammatories. Whyte saw a doctor in July last year, but it was not until February this year that she got her first specialist appointment to discuss knee surgery options. She said she was initially told that it would take 10-15 months for her to get surgery done. But the opportunity to be selected as an ideal candidate for the first knee replacement surgery in Kaitaia brought her surgery forward by about a year. Whyte said she was told by the doctor that she was suitable for the operation in Kaitaia, as she had no co-morbidities like diabetes, which meant her operation was lower risk for an operation at Kaitaia Hospital where there was no back up ICU. HNZ general manager surgical services in Te Tai Tokerau Katy Wilkinson said the recruitment of three new orthopaedic surgeons to Northland in January has been key to making this complex procedure possible. "Having these three new orthopaedic surgeons is just a wonderful asset for our team, it's growing the future of our care across Northland, particularly in Kaitaia," she said. HNZ said the additional surgeons means an average of 160 more orthopaedic patients can be seen in a month, across a range of specialities, including diabetic foot clinics. Wilkinson said the surgeons usually stay for a couple of days when they visit Kaitaia - doing operations as well as attending to outpatient appointments. When asked how many knee surgeries can be done in Kaitaia in a year, Wilkinson said they're aiming to complete 12 to 24 operations yearly. She said the number will depend on the availability of the surgeons, how urgent the patients' case is, and how long they've been waiting for. Wilkinson said hundreds of people are on the wait list for knee surgery across Northland. Kaitaia Hospital has two operating theatres, eight day-surgery beds and three recovery beds. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
RNZ News
4 days ago
- RNZ News
The new Suicide Prevention Action Plan - What you need to know
A new Suicide Prevention Action Plan was announced this week. Photo: RNZ/Michelle Tiang Explainer - New Zealand's suicide rate is "stubbornly high", with more than 600 people dead by suspected suicide in 2023-24. To tackle the problem the government this week announced a new Suicide Prevention Action Plan . Here's what you need to know. The five-year plan, described as a "whole of government" approach, includes 21 health-led new actions and 13 cross-agency new actions . "Suicide is preventable and we have a duty as a government, and as a country, to do more to ensure all New Zealanders have the access and support they need to heal and go on to live the life they deserve," Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey said in introducing the plan Tuesday. More than 400 people and organisations provided feedback during the public consultation on the draft plan, with what Doocey called a focus on "lived experience". "We've heard through extensive engagement with communities, families, and people who have been affected by suicide, that they expect the whole-of government approach to suicide prevention and clear actions that can make a tangible difference for communities." The plan builds on the government's Suicide Prevention Strategy 2019-2029 and the 2019-2024 prevention action plan. Doocey said this new plan would focus "on delivery with clear milestones, completion dates, and importantly an accountable agency". The Ministry of Health's suicide prevention office will lead delivery of the plan with the Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission monitoring its delivery. A new overall Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy is also set to be released by the government in October. The plan specifies four categories of actions: The plan places an emphasis on "postvention" - support for those who have lost someone to suicide or survive a suicide attempt. Among the new initiatives are plans to open six "crisis hubs" that will provide options for people experiencing distress, Doocey said. "What do know sadly with suicide is there are a number that are same-day crisis so we do know that if we can get in early and support someone through that 24 hours we can make a real difference." The plan outlines a series of suicide prevention initiatives, each with specific deadlines over the next five years. Among the goals listed are: "I think (the plan) is doing what it can with the limited resources that Minster Doocey has been able to get to take things forward," Mental Health Foundation chief executive Shaun Robinson told Midday Report . "There are some good things in the plan. The scale of all the changes is relatively small. There's a lot of pilots, there's a lot of limited numbers of new services." Watch Minister Doocey deliver the plan here: About $36 million is being put into it. It will be supported by an existing Vote Health suicide prevention investment of $20 million per year, plus an additional of more than $16 million per year from 2025/26 to improve access to mental health and suicide prevention supports. In wider mental health efforts, Budget 2025 invested $28 million over four years to fund the transition from a police-led response to a mental health response to 111 mental distress calls and $50 million in improving the safety, privacy and dignity of mentally distressed people at mental health facilities. The rate of suspected self-inflicted deaths was 11.2 per 100,000 population for 2023-24, Health New Zealand figures show. "New Zealand continues to face stubbornly high suicide rates," Doocey said in introducing the plan. "Last year, 617 people died by suspected suicide." In 2023-24 the average rate of suspected suicide decreased by 3.6 percent from the historical average, but it was not considered a statistically significant decrease to the 15-year average. The figures show some communities were far more affected than others. Men have approximately 2.5 higher rates of suicide than women, while youth aged 20 to 24 have the highest suspected suicide rate of 19.9 per 100,000, according to Health New Zealand figures. Māori experience about 1.8 times the suspected suicide rate of non-Maōri. In the LGBTIQ+ community, 64 percent of young people thought about suicide in the past year while 10 percent had attempted it. Other communities with higher rates included Pacific youth, rural communities and young people involved with Oranga Tamariki. Earlier this year a controversial UNICEF report claimed New Zealand's youth suicide rate was three times higher than the international average for high-income countries, but University of Auckland mental health experts have disputed that figure . Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey. Photo: RNZ / Mark Papalii Much of the funding is targeted, the Mental Health Foundation's Robinson said. "Some of the things that are really positive in the plan are additional specific suicide prevention funding targeted to different groups like young people, like rural communities, that I think is a good step," Robinson said. "We definitely need more services that are specifically addressing the needs of groups that are at risk." The plan states, "More kaupapa Māori approaches to suicide prevention are also needed as well as ensuring visibility of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and prioritisation of specific Māori-led actions." "We know one of the biggest barriers to support is our workforce," Doocey said. "The plan includes initiatives that will grow our workforce, such as by expanding suicide prevention training and strengthening existing resources to better equip workforces, communities and families." Earlier this year data was released showing that fewer people are getting specialist mental health care despite rising needs . Data by Te Hiringa Mahara-Mental Health and Wellbeing Commission shows 16,000 fewer people were seen by specialist services in the year to June 2024, compared to a peak in the year ended June 2021. Two-thirds of those people were under age 25. Police have also begun the staged retreat from responding to mental health call-outs . Asked about the pressure that puts on mental health services by Nine To Noon , Doocey said the $28 million invested in the Budget will fund the transition. "The transitioning from a police led 111 mental health crisis response to a mental health-led 111 crisis response is a four- to five-year program." Robinson said that while the plan shows progress, there is much work to be done on improving mental well-being. "I think that the whole mental health infrastructure is still struggling significantly. But then, the other things we need to think about is what's happening in our wider community that impacts on people's sense of hope and sense of wellbeing - unemployment, economic problems, increased conflict over things like race, and all of these things do contribute to the issues around suicide. "In many ways we're taking two steps forward and perhaps one step back in New Zealand. I do think this plan is two steps forward, so on the whole I guess it's good to see some progress." If it is an emergency and you feel like you or someone else is at risk, call 111. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
Newsroom
4 days ago
- Newsroom
Death done better: funeral costs in the spotlight
Paying to bury (or cremate) the person who meant the most in the world to you is going to be fraught with resentment right from the start. 'It's a grudge purchase and also a grief purchase isn't it … it's a purchase you don't want to make,' says Gillian Boyes, the chief executive of the Funeral Directors Association. An average funeral costs around $10,000 but it varies widely. Those costs are in the spotlight with a government health committee report on 'cremation costs and associated matters', after advocate group Death Without Debt made a push for a more affordable way of doing things. Funeral directors also had their say in the briefing, along with the Ministry of Health, which agrees that the processes prescribed under legislation are outdated and disproportionate, and need modernisation. The legislation dealing with burial and cremation rules dates back to Acts from 1964 and 1973, but work to update them has been going on for 15 years – and keeps getting pushed out. Funeral directors say that's far too long. 'Look we would love to see that review completed,' says Boyes. 'There's some bits in the regulations that are just problematic now.' She was at a water burial recently which uses technology not dreamed about last century – it isn't even a regulated disposal method because the rules haven't been updated. 'They're doing some work right now on these … and that will tidy that up to an extent, but it is really frustrating that it's sat there for the best part of 15 years and hasn't been completed,' says Boyes. Death Without Debt has been holding meetings around the country giving people information about DIY burials, including what people can or can't do, and has been calling for simpler processes. The Health Committee's report recommends the government's End of Life website make it easier to find information on DIY funerals, and encourages the health ministry to make all documents relating to cremation available on the Death Documents website. It also says the current regulations impose high costs on the public and are a barrier for those who want to organise their own funerals. But it stops short of setting changes in motion. There is a lot of paperwork involved with death. There must be either a Medical Certificate of Cause of Death, or a coroner's authorisation. All cemetery burials must be registered. For a cremation there's a medical referee form that must be signed. And all deaths must be registered with the Department of Internal Affairs. 'There's some quite confusing-looking forms,' says Boyes. 'But they are all accessible to anyone, as long as you know how to step your way through them – and many people aren't very good at filling out forms.' She believes that concentrating on making sure everyone can download those forms is an easy fix for the government, but there are other more pressing solutions that are a bit more difficult. One of those would be to increase the size of the burial benefit that people who really can't afford to pay for a funeral can access … it currently sits at $2616, well below the average cost of a funeral. Boyes would also like to see price transparency for funerals improved, so people know exactly what they are paying for. Today on The Detail she goes step by step through a funeral director's bill and explains what it involves. Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here. You can also stay up-to-date by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter.
