Andy Towers
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andytowersnz.bsky.social
Andy Towers
@andytowersnz.bsky.social
81 followers 66 following 39 posts
Associate Professor @ Massey University
• Mental Health & Addiction
• Board member @TePou @SpeedFreaks
• Aotearoa New Zealand
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andytowersnz.bsky.social
Andy Towers @andytowersnz.bsky.social · Jul 21
Thnx @rnzrss.bsky.social team for exploring why NZ's low-risk alcohol advice needs review. Quick take:
▶️Advice is old & higher than other countries
▶️Research shows alcohol harmful at even low-levels of use
▶️Alcohol industry has no role in planning harm reduction policy

www.rnz.co.nz/news/thedeta...
Booze warnings on hold
If you don't want to face the unpalatable truth about your boozing, the alcohol lobby is on your side.
www.rnz.co.nz
Reposted by Andy Towers
mphilipp.bsky.social
Recruiting a PhD student to join us at Univ Canterbury (Christchurch, NZ) to study how people perceive animal minds & how those perceptions shape moral concern, behaviour, & policy. Scholarship info:
www.canterbury.ac.nz/research/abo...

Rolling review starts Dec 2025 • Flexible Feb–July 2026 start
Eastern shore of Christchurch NZ
November 19, 2025 at 8:52 AM
andytowersnz.bsky.social
urther evidence illustrating that what we thought about alcohol was wrong:

▶️ there is no health benefit from low-levels of alcohol consumption

▶️ even use at low-levels increases your chances of cognitive impairment and dementia

www.thepress.co.nz/wellbeing/36...
No amount of alcohol is safe - at least for dementia risk
The finding comes from data of more than 550,000 adults ages 56 to 72, as well as genetics information from 2.4 million study participants.
www.thepress.co.nz
October 17, 2025 at 2:54 AM
andytowersnz.bsky.social
Thank you @rnzrss.bsky.social
for continuing to highlight how the #AlcoholIndustry influence on our govt:
❌ cutting alcohol harm experts at HealthNZ
❌ ignoring expert panels
❌ supporting alcohol sales in our communities

Health NZ cutting alcohol harm reduction staff and campaigns, union claims
October 6, 2025 at 3:58 AM
andytowersnz.bsky.social
"...the voices of Māori, which should have been at the forefront of the draft, have been deliberately diluted"
Raawiri Ratuu rightly calls out NZ govts approach to FASD.

This govts response to alcohol harm favours #alcohol industry profit over community health.

www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-dept...
Health advisory group under fire from its own co-chair over fetal alcohol report
Officials privately expressed surprise at Raawiri Ratuu's criticisms that a new plan to tackle FASD had been weakened.
www.rnz.co.nz
September 29, 2025 at 3:54 AM
Reposted by Andy Towers
mojomathers.bsky.social
Have heard that govt likely to cut eligibility for Total Mobility - an essential lifeline for many disabled people who cannot drive or access public transportation. Please sign this petition to parliament calling for Increased funding for Total Mobility Scheme
Petitions are addressed to the House of Representatives and ask that the House do something about a policy or law, or put right a local or private concern.
petitions.parliament.nz
September 27, 2025 at 12:35 AM
andytowersnz.bsky.social
“It's about profit over public health”
Andrew Galloway @ AWH.org.nz is spot on.
Seymour is too cozy with #Industry:
• ignores decades of evidence of alcohol, smoking & gambling harm
• seeks industry input on issues effecting their sales
• pushes for that change

www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...
Regulation Minister David Seymour won't rule out label changes for nicotine, tobacco, alcohol
'The problem is not the colour of the label,' David Seymour says.
www.rnz.co.nz
September 10, 2025 at 9:54 PM
andytowersnz.bsky.social
This is what happens when the #alcohol industry have access to policy makers:
▶️ rules relaxed to sell more drinks & increase harms
▶️ rules tightened to stop community & public health advocates voicing concern over increasing harms
Vote for People Not for Profit

www.stuff.co.nz/politics/360...
Looser rules, digital IDs for a time when people ‘who choose to drink alcohol do so responsibly’
Associate Justice Minister Nicole McKee says will reflect that “most New Zealanders who choose to drink alcohol do so responsibly”.
www.stuff.co.nz
August 28, 2025 at 6:10 AM
andytowersnz.bsky.social
ICYMI: Study from @uviccisur.bsky.social using data from over 147K Canadians from 2000-2017 shows alcohol has:
❌ No health benefits
⬆️ Dose-response relationship with all-cause & alcohol-related mortality

Supports Canada's reduction in Low-Risk Alcohol Advice.
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10....
Alcohol consumption and mortality among Canadian drinkers: A national population‐based survival analysis (2000–2017)
Introduction Alcohol contributes significantly to global disease burden. Over 50 countries, including Canada, have established low-risk drinking guidelines to reduce alcohol-related harm. Canada's G.....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
August 25, 2025 at 3:59 AM
andytowersnz.bsky.social
Great reporting by Guyon & colleagues @rnzrss.bsky.social
The #AlcoholIndustry shouldn’t be involved in policy. They:
▶️ refute evidence of harm
▶️ avoid blame for their actions
▶️ fight approaches that would reduce harm to communities
▶️ prioritise profit over people

www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...
Ministry of Health forced to release documents showing alcohol lobby influence
Papers reveal industry lobbying against tax hikes, restrictions on sales, and a Fetal Alcohol plan.
www.rnz.co.nz
August 20, 2025 at 12:53 AM
andytowersnz.bsky.social
Proof once more about NZ govt approach to alcohol use in AotearoaNZ:
▶️ They do not care about reducing alcohol harm in Aotearoa
▶️ They only care about protecting profit for the industry

Good leadership doesn’t focus on profits over people.

www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-dept...
Cabinet paper leak suggests Minister Nicole McKee's U-turn on alcohol sales reform
It appears ACT's Nicole McKee wanted to cut off-licence hours. But now, she's scrapped that and wants to 'focus on reducing red tape' instead.
www.rnz.co.nz
August 5, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Reposted by Andy Towers
phcc.bsky.social
Thousands of internal JUUL documents reveal how tobacco companies sought to influence NZ public health policy, including supplying draft policies and talking points. Public health researchers say it's time for a formal inquiry. @janethoek.bsky.social #JUULGATE tinyurl.com/34b3z75h
#JUULGATE Nicotine industry documents highlight the need for greater transparency in public health policy
Thousands of documents released through lawsuits against vaping company JUUL raise serious questions about the influence tobacco and vaping companies have had on public health policy.
tinyurl.com
July 30, 2025 at 10:02 PM
andytowersnz.bsky.social
Great article by Guyon Espiner @ RNZ showing V concerning association between tobacco industry and:
▶️ NZ First leaders
▶️ NZ First party
▶️ legislation led by NZ First that supports tobacco products & profits.

www.rnz.co.nz/news/in-dept...
Nicotine lobbyists said Winston Peters was 'very powerful' and 'very industry friendly'
Lobbyists for heated tobacco products identified the NZ First leader as "friendly". His party later delivered huge tax cuts for their products.
www.rnz.co.nz
July 22, 2025 at 9:21 PM
andytowersnz.bsky.social
Thnx @rnzrss.bsky.social team for exploring why NZ's low-risk alcohol advice needs review. Quick take:
▶️Advice is old & higher than other countries
▶️Research shows alcohol harmful at even low-levels of use
▶️Alcohol industry has no role in planning harm reduction policy

www.rnz.co.nz/news/thedeta...
Booze warnings on hold
If you don't want to face the unpalatable truth about your boozing, the alcohol lobby is on your side.
www.rnz.co.nz
July 21, 2025 at 4:00 AM
andytowersnz.bsky.social
Hey @rnzrss.bsky.social 👇
Study by Clay & co @uviccisur.bsky.social shows alcohol industry-friendly ISFAR who critique alcohol-harms/health studies more likely to:
▶️ Praise studies promoting health benefits.
▶️ Criticize studies highlighting alcohol-health harms.

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40632205/
The International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research (ISFAR) critiques of alcohol research: Promoting health benefits and downplaying harms - PubMed
Critiques from The International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research (ISFAR) consistently promote alcohol's purported health benefits while minimising evidence of harm, regardless of study quality. T...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
July 14, 2025 at 5:15 AM
andytowersnz.bsky.social
Kia ora whanau in Aotearoa. I don’t normally do this but I’ve signed a petition to investigate the Deputy-PM over his attacks on civil servants & academics over their evidence-based & considered opposition the Regulatory Standards Bill.
Link is below:
our.actionstation.org.nz/petitions/lu...
PM Luxon: Uphold Codes of Conduct - Call David Seymour into line
Responsible leaders welcome advice from experts when they are creating laws and policies. They know good decision making means planning for the long term, considering diverse points of view and making...
our.actionstation.org.nz
July 2, 2025 at 8:58 PM
andytowersnz.bsky.social
He Ara Oranga (2018) identified a national mental health and addiction (MHA) crisis in NZ.
Don’t accept any political party saying that MHA is a priority when the government is actively stripping the MHA sector of funding, staffing, access, visibility and voice.

www.thepost.co.nz/politics/360...
Internal documents reveal Health Ministry shake-up
“A handful of roles” will be affected by the change, the ministry confirmed.
www.thepost.co.nz
July 2, 2025 at 8:47 PM
andytowersnz.bsky.social
Alcohol cost health & social services over $9billion a year & accounts for over 5% of disability & death. Why should AotearoaNZ give the alcohol industry any influence over our alcohol policies?
www.rnz.co.nz/news/politic...
Alcohol lobbyists given input on health policies, documents reveal
Industry groups helped develop several initiatives about alcohol harm - including one on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.
www.rnz.co.nz
May 8, 2025 at 7:46 PM
andytowersnz.bsky.social
Kia ora AOD whanau in Aoteara. The awesome SpeedFreaks Addiction Recovery Charity is openning up on the West Coast (South Island). We have two new roles going. Check out one of those below:

www.tepou.co.nz/jobs/group-d...
Group Development Coordinator - 30 hours per week
www.tepou.co.nz
May 8, 2025 at 2:52 AM
andytowersnz.bsky.social
Worried about #AlcoholUse in those aged 50+? We trialed a #PrimaryHealthCare intervention to enhance detection of older at-risk drinkers:
▶️Used existing PHO system data
▶️Combined it with education on #OlderDrinkers
Disrupted by COVID-19 but it worked.
@smcnz.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1071/HC24...
A mixed-methods evaluation of an intervention for enhancing alcohol screening in adults aged 50+ attending primary health care
Introduction Adults aged 50 years and over are drinking more than ever but primary health care (PHC) professionals find it challenging to screen them for alcohol-related harm, despite being at greater...
doi.org
April 2, 2025 at 10:17 PM
andytowersnz.bsky.social
Of course they do. The better question is “What do we do if parents can’t or don’t provide lunches?”
New poll: Most voters think parents should provide school lunches
April 1, 2025 at 6:29 AM
andytowersnz.bsky.social
How important are NGO Mental Health & Addiction (MHA) services in Aotearoa? They:
▶️ see 41% of those seeking MHA support
▶️ yet only receive 27% of govt MHA funding
▶️ are our MHA innovation hubs
▶️ return $3.50 in benefits for every $1 invested

Check it out ⬇️

www.platform.org.nz/what-we-do/n...
NGO Capability, Impact and Value - Platform Trust | Growing healthy and connected communities
www.platform.org.nz
March 19, 2025 at 9:41 PM
andytowersnz.bsky.social
Aged 50+ and worried about your alcohol use? Those around you aged 50+ drinking a lot? Check out this video from Associate Prof David Newcombe (University of Auckland) and myself (Massey University) on the results of over 5 years of research with Te Whatu Ora (HealthNZ):
youtu.be/1_fKpmx33m8?...
Older adult drinkers in Aotearoa New Zealand
YouTube video by CFAR
youtu.be
March 18, 2025 at 1:27 AM
andytowersnz.bsky.social
Anyone concerned about the cuts to #Humanities & #SocSci research funding in NZ should read this thread by @dreddieclark.bsky.social. It highlights the questionable legality of these cuts (on top of the moral & social objections we all have).
dreddieclark.bsky.social Eddie Clark @dreddieclark.bsky.social · Dec 4
In eliminating funding for humanities and social sciences & issuing a mandatory directive on where half of all science funding is going, the Minister is undermining s 267(4) & arguably breaching her duties under s 267(3).

Possibly arguable the Marsden Council would do so too if it implements this.
December 4, 2024 at 8:29 PM
andytowersnz.bsky.social
Insightful thread by @rossthesedays.bsky.social.
Working effectively in #mentalhealth means being:
▶️ comfortable that we don’t know everything
▶️ open to learning
▶️ happy to be vulnerable in front of others & let them know we’re keen to work together to figure things out.
Ka pai e hoa.
October 31, 2024 at 2:53 AM
andytowersnz.bsky.social
ICYMI: MPs pushing to increase #alcohol availability when costs of alcohol-related harms in AotearoaNZ in 2023 were estimated to be $9.1billion (see here: www.health.govt.nz/publications...).

ACT MP sets sight on scrapping West Auckland alcohol licensing trust monopolies
Costs of alcohol harms in New Zealand: Updating the evidence with recent research
In 2023, the Ministry of Health commissioned the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER) to conduct an up-to-date analysis of the societal costs of alcohol harm in New Zealand.
www.health.govt.nz
October 30, 2024 at 10:00 PM