More women and families battling addiction will gain access to targeted support services, ensuring children get the strong, stable, drug-free upbringing they deserve to thrive.
The government has unveiled the Action Plan to Prevent and Reduce Substance Harm 2026–2029—a no-nonsense strategy to confront the ruinous toll of drugs and alcohol, rebuilding resilient families and communities.
“Too many New Zealanders are affected by addiction every year, whether through harm to themselves or others. It’s incredibly important the health system can step up and respond so we can help prevent these devastating consequences,” mental health minister Matt Doocey said.
“One of the most important times of a child’s life is the first 1000 days. If we get support to families early, we can help build a stronger future for these children. That’s why we are expanding pregnancy and parenting support services for women and families experiencing alcohol or other drug issues.”
The expanded services target pregnant women and parents cut off from support networks, deploying direct outreach and structured case management to restore order, safety, and accountability in the home.
“This builds on work underway on fetal alcohol spectrum disorder to prevent harm, improve diagnosis and support, and strengthen services for families.”
“I want New Zealand to be a country that supports alcohol-free pregnancies, which means equipping our workforce and providing stronger support for affected families.”
Early intervention is also a key priority. “We know we can’t wait until someone is in active addiction or asks for help. That’s why we are introducing screening and brief intervention practitioners in seven hospitals to identify people using meth, alcohol, or other drugs early and connect them with support.”
The government is also rolling out a community peer follow-up service for those discharged from emergency departments after substance-related incidents, offering comprehensive wraparound support to break the cycle.
“The bottom line is drugs like meth destroy lives and tear families apart. Last year the government announced a comprehensive plan to combat meth harm, allocating $30 million to increase services and grow the frontline addiction workforce.”
“All of these actions are part of the first-ever action plan in New Zealand focused on supporting the addiction sector, launched today, bringing together initiatives representing almost $20 million of new investment per year into addiction services so people can receive support, no matter what stage of addiction they are in.”