The New Zealand Government Inquiry Into Mental Health And Addiction's recommendations on substance use: some reflections from the science perspective

The New Zealand Government Inquiry Into Mental Health And Addiction recently tabled its final report, including a substantial set of recommendations. Four of these recommendations focused specifically on interventions and policy for psychoactive substance use (including alcohol and drugs). Based on longstanding involvement in science on alcohol-and other drugs-related health and policy, and similar commission efforts, the authors briefly examine and provide comments on these recommendations from a scientific evidence perspective. In sum, the Inquiry's recommendations provide a good and sensible basis towards improved substance use-related health and reduced harms in New Zealand. Concrete design and implementation of these reforms require thoughtful consideration of key evidence, details and experiences elsewhere, as well as a concerted strive for policy coherence, in order to be successful.