A former heroin addict says Invercargill needs a drug rehabilitation centre to help the rising numbers of alcohol and drug users in Southland. David Simpson is helping a family member through drug addiction and said the counselling available in the city was “like putting a band-aid on.”It wasn’t enough, he said. There are 10 residential rehabilitation and withdrawal management facilities on the South Island in Christchurch, Dunedin, Blenheim and Timaru. “In general, I think it's important for people to have the option [of withdrawal management],” Addison said. NZ Drug Foundation deputy director Ben Birks Ang said New Zealand needed more alcohol and other drug support options, but wasn’t convinced residential rehabilitation care was the best choice.

Source: Stuff July 09, 2021 21:00 UTC