The Government should convene a Commission of Inquiry into methamphetamine use and its threat to New Zealanders, the Police Association said today.
The call came after the release of a United Nations survey on global amphetamine and ecstasy use, showing New Zealand and Australia's proportion of abusers was high.
"Every police officer, social worker and other professional dealing with social problems is well aware of the extent of the problem," the association's president Greg O'Connor said.
He said the association had been warning of rising methamphetamine abuse for eight years.
"The problem is increasing markedly on a monthly basis.
"We now believe a public Commission of Inquiry, to ensure all aspects of the methamphetamine problem, including the growth of organised crime that accompanies it, is essential.
"Such an inquiry should be focused on making recommendations around legislation, resourcing and establishing early warning systems to detect future drug threats in New Zealand," Mr O'Connor said in a statement.
