A new rule will require all packaged alcohol being sold to have warnings on the label about the harm it can cause to unborn babies.

The food safety agency says the move is supported by advice from doctors, midwives, the Ministry of Health, and many others.

Between 1,800 and 3,000 babies are born with Foetal Alcohol Syndrome each year in New Zealand.

Listen to the New Zealand Food Safety deputy-director general Vincent Arbuckle talk about the new legislation here. 

Alcohol and other drug treatment are generally only provided for individuals, often away from their families. Treatment aims to improve well-being and reduce the harms of substance use and families and communities can play a significant role in an individuals journey through recovery.

This article, published in the Conversation, explores the potential role of families in treatment in Australia.

The authors go on to suggest 3 ways of expanding access and creating a family-focused model of treatment.

This report presents the most recent and in-depth data on overdose and drug-induced deaths in Australia, covering the period 2002 to 2021. It is the most recent output in a series of annual publications on trends in drug overdose deaths issued by Drug Trends for over 20 years. 

This publication includes: 

• Report 
• Methods document 
• Executive Summary 
• Infographics 
• Appendix 

Findings are reported by age, sex, jurisdiction, remoteness area, socio-economic status, intent, psychosocial risk factors, and drug type.