[pat]

Hi
We live in essex and there are alot of drug dealers around. This is yet another reason for leaving uk and going to nz.
Does anyone know if there are drug problems in nz
Pat

[Radders]

There are the same problems over in nz. However it has not reached the same proportions, and it depends where in the country you are.
There's alot of dope around (the best comes from the coromandel - apparently), from what I've heard, harder drugs can be found, like everywhere else in the world. When I was travelling over there many people told me how expensive these were compared to UK prices. This could be a reason for there being less of a problem

[pat]

My hubby has got a job in Auckland so we will be looking around .

[Radders]

I wouldn't worry too much about it, it's not like over here where they are just hanging around on street corners.

[mattford]

I only know what I've read on the New Zealand Herald website, but there have been a lot of stories about the recent amphetamines "craze" (which they call the "P" epidemic). They quoted a recent WHO survey which found that NZ citizens were among the top 5 consumers of amphetamines worldwide (behind Thailand and Australia)! I don't know how skewed this was because of the population size though.

This page has a list of articles about "P" in NZ on it:
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?reportID=1162612

However NZ is a long way away from most of the world's drug trade routes, so it's got to be put into perspective!

[Raeven]

I am concerned about this issue in NZ.

Having worked in the court system here for many years, I have seen firsthand the personal devastation to individuals and their families as a result of methamphetamine abuse and addiction. Characterization as an epidemic is very apt. If communities minimize or ignore the impact of this drug on their children, schools, neighborhoods and criminal justice system, they're in for a rude surprise. It's cheap to manufacture (if not to purchase), easy to obtain and highly addictive. The only effective means I ever saw of combatting methamphetamine addiction is a program widely in use here in the States called Drug Court -- an intense judicial intervention in the life of the recovering addict: Required jail term, then weekly personal appearances in court to speak with the sentencing judge; daily required attendance at peer counseling sessions to learn how to deal with addiction, write a resume, dress for job interviews and the like; requirement to obtain and keep employment; intervention in where the recovering addict may live, what relationships he/she may have and other such personal things. It's very invasive and hard work for both the treatment providers and for the recovering addict. With all that, the success rate is only about 50% -- which is fantastic when compared to any other approach.

If the P epidemic goes unaddressed in NZ, it will go a bit harder for us all. True, there is a much smaller population in NZ. To me, this just means fewer of us available to steal from to support an all-consuming drug habit.

I'm keeping an eye on how NZ officials are addressing the P issue.

Rae

[SoCal Gal]

Great post, as always, Rae!
We did hear directly from some friends there - when asking what the Northland was like - "There's a lot of pot growing up there". And then, went on to detail some shootings and things that the press doesn't talk much about. So, even if they are not bringing it in, there are things (drugs)growing and being homemade there.
Not utopia, but better than most places, like we keep saying.....

[veronica]

alcohol is a problem here too. just becasue its legal don't leave it out, probably causes more domestic crime than drugs just not as sensational.

[Timbo]

Very good poinjt Veronica. We did notice a lot of kids hanging out in remote spots and drinking/puffing. You could tell the favorite spots by the empty beer cans thrown out of the car.
Still, no different to the youth in a lot of countrys I guess.

[Diny]

From what I understand having spoken to in-laws and friends in NZ, there most definately IS a drug problem, with both organic and manufactured drugs being readily available.

Per capita NZ has the same problems as any other country in the world. I know I am guilty of being lulled into a false sense of security when I hear that drug related arrests for a certain period were only 'so many hundreds' - but when you consider there's only a population of 4 million it puts those figures into perspective.

If only somebody could come up with a magic solution to wipe out drug abuse, crime, violence, unemployment, poverty etc !!

I think the important thing is for everybody to make a stand for what they believe in. We may not be able to change the world, but if we address and deal with the problems we CAN change then maybe collectively we can make a difference ......... a nice thought eh?

Diny[/i]

[Timbo]

Have just been told by a native kiwi, that the story about Northland and cannabis is quite amusing.
It seems the powers that be decided to crack (no pun intended) down on the many growers in the Northland area some years back. They sent in teams to gather up as much of the illicit crop as possible, and ditch it. The chosen method of transportation for the harvested plants was helicotor. The idea was to dump it at sea.
However, the only way they could carry any quantity was to hang it underneath the chopper.......in giant nets.
This had the effect of spreading the seeds all over the place, and as a result there is now tons of the stuff growing wild.
And all thanks to the Govt. :laugh

[ruthyroo]

My DH regularly has kids coming back into the classroom stoned after their lunchtime joints - it's fair to say that smoking dope is as socially acceptable as ciggies among a lot of people. Haven't been up to Eastland yet, but apparently there are lots of maoris wearing bob marley hats and claiming that growing ganja is their cultural right as rastafarians!! The P issue is a biggie here. Any society which has such a large, disillusioned, disenfranchised, improverished minority as NZ, with the gang culture that is prevalent, will have a drug problem.