Meth in Paradise: the reality of meth in coastal communities and what we can do
Updated: Aug 8
Meth use in Northland has tripled in the last couple of years. It’s a stat which was both completely overwhelming and was a total surprise to me when I started to do a bit of research on the drug and its impact on the people of our coastal community.
You see, I thought we had "won" the “P" epidemic.
Fifteen years ago the country seemed to be really focused on meth. The media was full of stories of its destructive fury, tales of samurai sword-swinging maniacs and celebrity takedowns making the front pages of the Sunday newspapers.
But for the last few years, there’s been far less noise about it. I mistakenly thought we must be on top of it. That legislation had worked. Or we’d moved on to some other drug. But when we arrived in Whananaki four years ago, you could see in this small, beautiful, community just how prevalent meth use was.
You might not see someone for a few months and the next time they came in they looked a few years older. It’s sucked a bit of the life out of them, like The Machine in the Princess Bride. We’ve had our fair share of petty thefts and shoplifters and I would expect almost all to be meth related. No money for food, it’s been spent on meth, so they have to steal the food. I take it personally. That’s a failing on my part. It’s not their fault, it’s the drug. It really upsets me, but when you realise true addicts would steal from their grandmother to get hold of the stuff, ripping off the local shop is pretty small fry. Funny thing is I’d give anyone food if they asked. We have many, many times.
That's the other thing about the drug. There's a stigma. People are too scared to tell you they are having trouble. I understand that too.
Apparently most users take meth once or twice a year for fun. That surprised me as well. As Sarah Helm, CEO of the Drug Foundation told me, most people who use meth are infrequent users. I always thought one hit and you’d be hooked. It’s not quite the case, but I guess it helps with the narrative if you’re trying to stop people giving it a go.
So, what are the answers? How can we help our whanau and friends battling with this drug? This evil Machine that sucks the life out of so many people. We’re taking a look at this challenge for Whananaki over the next few weeks.
This Week: Sarah Helm, CEO NZ Drug Foundation
Next Week: An award-winning Northland meth programme that truly gets people off the stuff
Need help?
Tell someone. Whanau or friends, tell them you’re struggling.
Meth Line is there to help you right now. You can call 0800 METH HELP for free, confidential assistance. Family and friends can use this number too if you’re worried about someone else.
There’s a Narcotics Anonymous meeting this Wednesday 12th August at Hikurangi. It’s a start, why not give it a go?
Listen to Sarah Helm, CEO of the NZ Drug Foundation here.
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