There is a drive internationally to put treatment on the agenda. New Zealand is a party to, and has an obligation to three United Nations conventions:

• Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs 1961, as amended by the 1972 Protocol
• Convention on Psychotropic Substances 1971
• Convention against the Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances 1988

These reflect a commitment to international control measures to:

• ensure the availability of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances for medical and scientific purposes
• prevent the diversion of narcotics into the illicit trade
• curb the trafficking of illegal substances

The shift from a punitive approach to a health-based one, with regard to treatment is clearly reflected in the policy and strategy of both the United Nations and the World Health Organisation. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, for example, states that, "Drug abuse is best treated by combinations of continuing outpatient therapy, medications and monitoring." They also advocate that "addiction is not simply a matter of becoming stabilized and getting the drugs out of one’s system. Relapse rates following detoxifications are approximately the same as those following incarceration."

It is one of NSAD’s objectives that ongoing government legislation reflects this international shift in policy direction.