Julia Ruth McRae is a recovering meth addict, who has been clean for two years. Photo / Ian Cooper
Julia Ruth McRae is a recovering meth addict, who has been clean for two years. Photo / Ian Cooper
It's no surprise to Julia Ruth McRae, that methamphetamine is the most prevalent drug found in Hawke's Bay, closely followed by MDMA, and cocaine.
Police have released their Wastewater Drug Testing in New Zealand quarterly results covering the three month period between April and June 2021, in November.
The resultsshow an average of 552 grams of meth found per week in the Eastern District's wastewater, followed by 60 grams of MDMA and five grams of cocaine.
Meth formed 91 per cent of the drugs detected in Napier, 92 per cent in Hastings, 96 per cent in Waipukurau and 97 per cent in Wairoa.
"I found it really hard to get clean, but (Kia Tipu Te Ora Trust founder) Chris (Jenkins) helped a lot. He is amazing, and with the help of the trust I managed to get four of my kids back.
Jenkins said 70 per cent of the people the trust supported were methamphetamine addicts and recovering meth addicts.
"A lot of people are in recovery for meth addiction, and it's only in the last couple of weeks that I have heard of cocaine being used.
"Meth starts off as 'not the problem', it starts off as an attempt to stop the problem," and then it turns into a full-blown addiction, he said.
The trust supported addicts into recovery and Jenkins, a former addict and an addiction support worker, said they had a 'no judgement' policy.
"The drugs we have out there today are harder to treat – especially with synthetics and meth," he said.
"We've had people from all walks of life come here and some really successful people that had really successful careers but the drugs have destroyed that."
For McRae, drugs were escapism from a tough life that started when she was 15.
She was thrown out of schools for being unruly, and by age 14 leading up to 15, she started using solvents, sniffing glue, paint.
Aged 15, she started hanging out with older people and got into a cycle of addiction, and needing cash to fuel it.
She also started looking for family elsewhere, because she didn't have one at home.
"Older people took advantage of my vulnerability."
She started injecting a cocktail of methadone and morphine.
Chris Jenkins, Kia Tipu Te Ora Trust founder says they help support addicts and their whanau without judgement. Photo / NZME
In Wellington, she was introduced to meth, and at 19 she forced herself to go to rehabilitation in Auckland.
On leaving rehab, she went back to her old way of life, and became a mother.
"I was an emotional wreck, was struggling, had no support and I couldn't cope. I hated my life, hated myself and the drugs and drinking continued."
Eventually, after having six children, and losing them at various stages of her life, she found her way back to Hastings, and the Kia Tipu Te Ora Trust.
She has now been sober for two years, and intends studying at EIT.
"I got clean, and now I help out at the trust. I want people to know that no matter what you go through, you can always get clean."
