'Down Town' drugs spur overdose alert

By BRIDGET CARTER

Morphine-based drugs known as "Down Town" are being marketed on the streets of Auckland and Northland as a way to recover from pure methamphetamine.

But drug experts believe users who take a cocktail of both drugs risk overdosing and dying.

"Down Town" is a local slang term for opiate substances such as morphine sulphate and heroin that bring drug users back from amphetamine-related highs.

The drugs have found a fresh market because of the surge in the popularity of pure methamphetamine, known as 'P' or 'Burn'.

Pure methamphetamine, the crystallised version of methamphetamine, provides an initial rush and after-effects that can last up to 10 hours.



Infamous users include triple RSA killer William Duane Bell and Ese Falealii, the gunman who killed a pizza worker and a bank teller during a series of armed robberies last year.

The drug has been linked to a number of other crimes and its use has become a problem in Kaitaia, where a community trust is actively campaigning to discourage young people from touching it.

Police say criminals are selling legally prescribed Down Town drugs on the town's streets.

The head of the town's criminal investigation branch, Detective Sergeant Mark Robertson, said he knew of people in Kaitaia who had sold the morphine tablets they had been given for pain relief or drug addiction.

The drug trade was strong in the Far North, he said. In Kaitaia, the market was mainly run by criminals with gang links. The town had members from the Black Power, Mongrel Mob and the Tribesmen.

"We have got drug dealers right across the range up here, from people selling heroin down to cannabis."

Mr Robertson said cannabis remained the most prevalent drug in the town but methamphetamine-related crimes jumped about 16 per cent last year.

Police statistics show crimes linked to the drug increased 28 per cent around the country last year and 150 methamphetamine laboratories were found, compared to nine in 2000.

Drug experts, including clinical pharmacist Carina Walters from the Auckland Regional Alcohol and Drug Service, said the drugs comprising Down Town had been around for some time.

But it was easy for people to overdose and die if they took them as a cocktail with amphetamines.

A community campaign is now under way in Kaitaia to stop young people using "P".

Community workers Boycie Tawhara, Owen Lewis and Errol Murray from a social services trust linked to Te Rarawa runanga in Kaitaia have held a concert, printed T-shirts and plan to get locals painting over the town's skateboard ramp with anti-drug slogans.