War against P continues in Muriwhenua with fight night

Fight Nite trainer Jason Reti (standing, centre) with his pugilists - Chase Herbert, Sean Herbert, Rob Leef, Carlos Waikai and in front Rawiri Bishop.

Open the Curtains is not alone in recognising the presence of methamphetamine in the Far North, and the damage it is doing to, but once again it is preparing to battle the drug head-on with a second Fight the P — Fight Nite, as it continues its campaign to "take P out of Muriwhenua."

The event, at Te Rangi Aniwaniwa (doors open 6pm, tickets $30 at the door) will be a fundraiser for Tangonge Park, but is primarily a declaration that methamphetamine is a problem for Far North whanau, and a call for them to unite in rejecting it.

Last year's inaugural Fite Night was followed by the Northland DHB's launch of a P-Free Muriwhenua campaign that delivered resources for whanau and community groups.

"Open the Curtains believes that more needs to be done though, because it is not just about the person using or selling the drug," Adrian Marsden said.

"It is also about the damage that the drug is doing to the whanau affected by the user and the sellers. And our tamariki are directly affected.

"Fight the P — Fight Nite is about creating community awareness and stating a commitment to making Muriwhenua P-free. P is way more easy to get than dak (cannabis) but it is a destructive poison that is responsible for the deaths of individuals, the breakdown of whanau and massive devastation within Maori communities right across Te Tai Tokerau, which has some of the most socially and economically deprived communities in the most depressed region in the country. P thrives in those circumstances.

"All the fighters are on board because they support the message. Some of them have their own stories to tell about their journey with P, and have changed their lives for their own reasons. They have all committed to being tested for this drug prior to getting into the ring."