Headway Calls For Urgent Action To Stop 'Run It Straight'
Headway is raising urgent concerns about the Run It Straight events scheduled to take place across Auckland this month, calling them 'dangerous spectacles' with a very real risk of traumatic brain injury or death.
'These events are not sport. They're commercialised violence targeting the most vulnerable in our community,' said Stacey Mowbray, CEO. 'We see the lifelong impact of brain injury every day. This is not entertainment. It's a public health and safety crisis waiting to happen.'
While concussions are often dismissed as mild or temporary, Headway notes that even so-called 'minor' brain injuries can lead to long-term mental health challenges, reduced capacity to work, and serious impacts on whānau. The organisation says the format and promotion of the Run It Straight events appear to deliberately target financially vulnerable people by offering large prize pools up to $20,000.
'It's tough to say no to that kind of money when you're struggling but it's unacceptable to use financial hardship as leverage to expose people to brain injury,' said Mowbray.
Headway also questions how these events were permitted. Under the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015, organisers must manage risks 'so far as is reasonably practicable.' Based on the scientific evidence on brain trauma, Headway believes these risks cannot be reasonably mitigated—especially not by the superficial measures promoted by organisers.
'The claim that onsite doctors and mouthguards are sufficient to make this safe is deeply misleading,' said the spokesperson. 'These do not prevent brain injury.'
Earlier this month, Headway raised the issue with Auckland Council, the Mayor's office, Councillors, MPs, and WorkSafe New Zealand. Responses to date have been unsatisfactory, and the organisation will now be submitting an Official Information Act request to determine how permits were issued and what risk assessments, if any, were reviewed.
The largest of the upcoming events is being held at Trusts Arena. Headway is particularly concerned about the involvement of Chanel Harris-Tavita as a special guest and have contacted the New Zealand Warriors to express concern about his endorsement of the event.
Headway has also contacted Auckland Rugby Union and Auckland Rugby League to understand how an affiliated rugby club and rugby league club could also host smaller versions of Run it Straight.
'We urge venue operators, local authorities, and sports bodies to act now,' said the spokesperson. 'These events carry serious, lasting harm—and those enabling them share responsibility.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
3 days ago
- Scoop
Thousands Of Kiwi Kids Harmed Online, And No One Is Accountable
Newly released police data confirms what B416 is hearing from the front lines of education, health and law enforcement: children in New Zealand are being harmed by social media, and no one is being held responsible. More than 2,000 children have been recorded as victims of harmful digital communications since it was introduced in 2015, according to data released to B416 under the Official Information Act. Three out of four victims are girls. Nearly 900 children were recorded as offenders under the Harmful Digital Communications Act (HDCA), but very few cases make it to court. The majority are handled informally, often through warnings or alternative action. The HDCA covers serious online harm, including emotional abuse, privacy breaches and sharing intimate images without consent. B416 spokesperson Dr Samantha Marsh, from the University of Auckland, says the figures reflect a system failing to keep pace with the scale of harm. 'This data backs up what we are hearing every week from schools, health professionals and those working in law enforcement: children are being harmed online, and the guardrails that should protect them are missing,' says Dr Marsh. 'We don't let 12-year-olds into nightclubs. Why are we letting them into algorithm-driven digital environments that are designed to manipulate and addict?' She says the majority of cases never make it to court not because the harm isn't real, but because the current laws are not fit for purpose. B416 is calling for a minimum age of 16 for access to social media, alongside stronger enforcement, platform accountability, and education. The campaign is encouraging those on the frontlines of this issue, including parents, teachers, health professionals, and young people themselves, to share their experiences as part of the current Parliamentary inquiry into social media and youth mental health. Submissions close on 30 July. 'Online harm is often hidden and there is shame for many around this. And this inquiry is a chance for families and young people to let lawmakers know how harmful things are for young people,' Dr Marsh said. Submit here:
Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Otago Daily Times
Staff praised amid spike in ED visits
Christchurch Hospital's emergency department may have had its largest number of patients ever in one day. A source at the hospital told The Star 470 patients were at ED on Sunday, July 13. But Health New Zealand told The Star on Monday it could not confirm the number of patients or whether it was the most ever. To confirm patient numbers, the agency would need an Official Information Act request, which can take up to 20 days to process, a spokesperson said. Health NZ Canterbury director of operations, Hamish Brown, said recent weeks have been busier than usual for this time of year. 'This month our team is seeing an average 414 patients a day, which is nearly an 8% increase from the same time last year,' he said. Brown said the ED staff have been 'fantastic' at handling the patient increase but due to high demand, those with non-emergency needs may face long waits. 'We would like to thank those who are waiting for their patience and understanding, as well as our teams across the hospital.' Brown attributed the spike in patients to an increase in winter viral and respiratory illnesses, along with Sundays typically being one of the busiest days of the week. Weekends often involve more high-risk activities, and many GPs and other health clinics are often closed on Sundays, pushing more patients toward ED. To manage the high demand, Brown said the ED has introduced various initiatives, and are working on other options. They include the opening of an ED observation area to reduce hospital admissions, fast-track admission pathways, and offering alternative options for care to patients with less urgent needs. It comes as RNZ reported relatives of distressed patients at Christchurch Hospital have been asked to come in to help because of a shortage of healthcare assistants. Information provided by a hospital staff member showed the hospital had so few healthcare assistants on June 22, managers were asked to see if patients' family members could come in to sit with and monitor them. This is usually done for patients with confusion, delirium, or dementia symptoms. Health NZ's Canterbury director of nursing Becky Hickmott said the issue was caused by a large volume of patients, coupled with a significant number of staff who rang in sick at short notice.
The Spinoff
6 days ago
- The Spinoff
It's time to shut the alcohol industry out of health policy in Aotearoa
Alcohol is our most harmful drug, yet industry groups have inside access during the development of alcohol harm reduction strategy, where they can put pressure on officials to water down policy advice. It has to stop, argues Steve Randerson. Most New Zealanders would be shocked to learn the alcohol industry is regularly invited to help shape our national health policies on alcohol. But that's exactly what's happening. Recent information uncovered by RNZ through the Official Information Act shows senior health officials in the Public Health Agency are 'expected' to work directly with alcohol industry representatives. Who set this expectation or what the expectations entail is unclear, but the information reveals the agency's diligent response. Regular interactions occurred between four separate industry associations representing spirits, wine, beer and hospitality and the Public Health Agency, part of the Ministry of Health. A group manager with responsibilities for alcohol harm reduction, Ross Bell, emerged as the main conduit for contact. The interactions included regular meetings, ongoing email contact and consultation on alcohol harm reduction plans. The alcohol industry had been involved in the development of an action plan for foetal alcohol spectrum disorder. All four industry groups were invited to give input to a new guiding framework for spending the $16 million alcohol levy, a public fund meant to reduce harm; in contrast, to our knowledge, there was no opportunity for most of Aotearoa's major public health organisations that work on alcohol to contribute to the framework. One industry representative questioned a government refresh of New Zealand's outdated guidance on lower-risk drinking levels, which some other countries now set considerably lower to reflect current evidence of the health risks of alcohol. The partially completed project was subsequently put on hold. While the pause was described as an internal ministry decision, current systems leave ministry staff exposed to potential industry pressure and there is a concerning lack of transparency around possible industry influence. For instance, alcohol industry feedback on the alcohol levy framework was redacted from the OIA documents supplied to RNZ. There's a reason this matters. Alcohol is our most harmful drug. It causes cancer and foetal alcohol spectrum disorder, and costs our country more than $9 billion a year in health and social harm. The damage is sustained by our lack of effective safeguards around the supply and promotion of alcohol, such as online marketing and the higher numbers of outlets in communities at greater risk of harm. Communities around the country have long fought to have more say on where and how alcohol is sold, while well-funded alcohol industry groups have doggedly opposed such changes in our courts, media and parliament. In this context the inside access alcohol industry representatives are enjoying during the development of alcohol harm reduction strategy is disheartening. Industry involvement in public health policy isn't just bad practice. It's a major conflict of interest. This is why Health Coalition Aotearoa . Almost half the alcohol sold in Aotearoa is consumed in heavy drinking sessions, while lighter alcohol consumption also increases the risk of cancer and other diseases. Any steps that broadly reduce these harms will impact alcohol industry profits, creating an inescapable incentive to undermine or block effective change. A senior health official put it bluntly: 'In my experience… these alcohol interests have zero interest in reducing harm (or sales of booze) and a huge purse to fund their lawyers.' Despite this, the government continues to expect the alcohol industry to have a seat at the table, where they can put pressure on officials to water down policy advice to ministers well before the public has a say. In contrast, New Zealand is required to protect our tobacco control public health policies from the commercial interests of the tobacco industry – since 2005 we have been party to the World Health Organization's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. This agreement recognises the 'irreconcilable conflict' between tobacco industry profits and public health. The same logic applies to alcohol – yet no such protections exist. The Ministry of Health and Customs have continued to interact with tobacco industry representatives for tobacco regulation purposes, but one improvement of Aotearoa signing the framework convention is they now both maintain a public register of these interactions, which should only occur where strictly necessary. Other parts of the government may not have been so scrupulous, however. NZ First politicians have been reported to be closely affiliated with industry executives, and several coalition government ministers have appeared to use similar arguments as tobacco industry representatives to defend their repeal of the tobacco endgame measures in the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act 1990, suggesting a common script. While the New Zealand government is yet to fully implement its responsibilities under the framework convention, it is a strong step in the right direction, and Labour health spokesperson Ayesha Verrall has proposed legislation to promote stronger compliance. We urgently need a similarly stringent approach for alcohol and await new rules for engagement with the alcohol lobby being considered by the Ministry of Health. The World Health Organization's Global Alcohol Action Plan 2022-2030 is clear: governments should protect public policy to reduce alcohol harms from commercial and other vested interests that undermine health. Most New Zealanders agree – a recent poll found 71% believe the alcohol industry should have no role in alcohol policy development. This strong public support should give politicians the courage to draw clear boundaries around industry involvement in policy intended to reduce alcohol harm.
