P taniwha has been tightening its grip on ?our people

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

Opinion

One News coverage last week of Gisborne’s “P epidemic” made many people uncomfortable and some angry at the negative light our place was cast in, once again.

Just to be clear for those who felt this way, the story was initiated by One News in response to the 41 arrests here early last month — most related to allegations of supply or possession of methamphetamine.

They started by contacting some of those involved in the Ruia Project, which aims to reduce gang-related crime and improve outcomes for whanau affiliated to gangs in the Tairawhiti.

Ka Pai Kaiti manager Tuta Ngarimu said the cameraman was a former Gisborne guy and he was “blown away” learning how entrenched P had become here.

Mr Ngarimu also said on-camera that this was the same in all lower socio-economic areas of the country, that it was no different from Taita, Fernhill or Kaikohe — but that wider context didn’t make the news item.

The Herald webpoll this week asks whether P, cannabis or alcohol is this district’s biggest drug problem. This morning the result from 289 votes so far is 50 percent saying P, 32 percent alcohol and 9 percent cannabis.

Last week’s story has been a lightning rod for a whole lot more discussion about the use of methamphetamine in our community — and it’s serious.

First, it is apparent that it is not just gangs supplying P. Once hooked on this drug people are blowing $150 and more in a session, and it seems the most common way to fund this is by selling P to others or engaging in other criminal activity.

It’s a recipe for delivering severe, ongoing repercussions to already disadvantaged people in low socio-economic areas.

Another concerning revelation many have been sharing is that some tradesmen have been using P on the job — ostensibly to work long hours, but no doubt mainly just because they’re hooked on this highly-addictive and very expensive drug.

The P taniwha has been steadily tightening its grip on our people. Our wider community needs to face up to our P problem.