Media Statement For immediate release Friday, 16 January, 2003

Dunne: Drugs survey another nail in Greens' coffin

It's now "put up or shut up time" for the Greens' drug policies, United Future leader Peter Dunne said today in the wake of a damning Massey University study confirming that cannabis is a 'gateway' link to the drug P.

"The Greens have consistently denied any gateway link, but study after study makes them either liars or fools. Either way they are seriously misleading New Zealanders about drugs and are without doubt the most irresponsible party in Parliament," Mr Dunne said.

The Massey University survey findings included:

* Police and drug treatment workers say methamphetamine use rose in the past six months.
* More people are injecting and smoking the drug, and it is becoming easier to get.
* A wide cross-section of people use P, including teens, students, business people, young women, Maori, the poor and boy racers; and
* Cannabis tinny houses are increasingly selling the drug, and smaller weights are being sold.

"And against that, we have the Greens who promote the use of cannabis, and - as I will keep reminding the New Zealand public - were the only party to oppose the reclassification of P as a class A drug last year.

"This was one of the most criminally negligent and unprincipled acts I have ever seen in Parliament and confirmed beyond doubt that the Greens are pro-drugs. It is that simple, and it is that unacceptable.

"If they had a shred of integrity, they would clean up their act and pull Nandor Tanczos into line or cut him loose. New Zealand's deserve better than his druggie propaganda and his continued refusal to face up to studies such as this one," Mr Dunne said.

Ends.

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