Death sparks call to tackle P demand

Hawke's Bay Police said two busts in Hawke's Bay last month involved the seizure of about a kilogram of methamphetamine, estimated to have a street value of about $1million.

A Napier man's death on Friday has sparked a new call for communities to deal with the methamphetamine crisis at the point of demand rather than supply.

The call has come from Napier-based national programme Mokai Whanau Ora co-ordinator Denis O'Reilly, who has written about the tragedy and the fight against methamphetamine use in a Talking Point published today (Page 13).

He says the death, understood to be self-inflicted, is a consequence of methamphetamine use, and added: "Methamphetamine ('P') has come back to the Bay with a vengeance."

Hawke's Bay Police Organised Crime Unit Acting Detective Sergeant Wayne Steed said two busts in Hawke's Bay last month involved the seizure of about a kilogram of methamphetamine, estimated to have a street value of about $1million.

Unprecedented in Hawke's Bay in terms of the quantity seized, it was even more significant because of the high quality. That indicated it had come from outside Hawke's Bay and was probably imported into New Zealand, he said.

"Unfortunately, it is increasing, and when we turn over a crime organisation we are recovering more and more all the time," he said.

At the same time there appeared to have been less local production compared with earlier years, including 2003 when police were reported to have uncovered almost 150 clandestine P-making laboratories throughout New Zealand, many in residential areas.

Mr Reilly, who has been involved for more than a decade in attacking the problem from the demand end, said: "We thought we were through it. There was a lot of good and productive work that had gone on, and that it was mainly just the residual user, but it has come to visit us again.

"It is supply driven," he said. "Somewhere or other the code has been cracked and there are now some big players, which means that if somebody wants it, then someone's going to find a way of getting it to them."

Mr O'Reilly warns against hyping the issue up.

He said "quiet pro-active responses" using all resources available, including health and mental health services, and "compassion" in reducing the need for methamphetamine were needed.