A pilot programme run in Northland hailed as a way of reducing the region's high methamphetamine use has been given a further $4 million of funding in the Budget.
Te Ara Oranga - an initiative between police and the Northland District Health Board - is designed to reduce meth use and refer users to rehabilitation services.
As part of Thursday's Budget the Government is providing $4m over four years for Te Ara Oranga in Northland, which provides support for up to 500 people a year addicted to meth, and their families. "We are extremely pleased to receive this news, especially for our communities, who are at the forefront of methamphetamine harm in Northland," Northland DHB chief executive Dr Nick Chamberlain said.
"We acknowledge that addiction is a community issue and have proven that having a suite of services that can be tailored to each patient while also offering support for whānau makes this programme of treatment and Te Ara Oranga work."
The 2018 Te Ara Oranga evaluation report highlighted a number of interesting insights about the need for health services, the value of screening at the point of first contact, and the value of having community co-ordinators as an essential point of engagement with whānau and communities. There was also positive community reception to police being engaged as both a referral point for health services and their enforcement activities, he said.