Pubdate: Thu, 22 May 2003
Source: New Zealand Herald (New Zealand)
Copyright: 2003 New Zealand Herald
Contact:  http://www.nzherald.co.nz/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/300

DRUG PLAN HITS DEALERS AND HELPS ADDICTS

A Government plan to tackle the rising problem of methamphetamine use in 
New Zealand will aim to make life much harder for manufacturers of the 
drug, but help victims get better treatment.

The Methamphetamine Action Plan, released yesterday by Associate Health 
Minister Jim Anderton, includes 19 actions to controlsupply, reduce demand, 
limit harm and improve treatment services.

The first part is the reclassification of methamphetamine to a Class A 
drug, by next Friday. Those importing or manufacturing the drug, commonly 
known as speed, could face life imprisonment.

Those convicted of conspiracy to commit an offence could face 14 years' 
prison, and those caught in possession of the drug could be imprisoned for 
six months, and/or fined $1000.

Police and Customs will get more powers to search for and seize the drug or 
its ingredients.

"There is a zero tolerance approach by the Government to this," said Mr 
Anderton, who is also chairman of the Ministerial Action Group on Alcohol 
and Drugs.

"We just consider it an outrageously dangerous drug and those who engage in 
it are engaging in a substance of evil."

But addicts should get better treatment.

"We are not really after punishment for those who are victims, but we want 
to help them, their families and communities."

This would include improved community education, particularly among Maori.

"There is quite a significant amount of evidence that gangs, many of them 
Maori, are involved in the production and sale of methamphetamine," Mr 
Anderton said.

"I want to be co-operative with Maori communities ... there is a suggestion 
that a rahui [ban] could be placed on methamphetamine. Not everyone takes 
notice of that, but it will be helpful in terms of the culture of this."

Mr Anderton met American rap star Coolio on Wednesday and discussed the 
proliferation of substance abuse.

"It was extraordinary how honest he was about all this substance abuse and 
hard drugs. He has had plenty of experience, obviously, and it reinforced 
to me the desperate need for strong community action," Mr Anderton said. 
The head of the police National Drug Intelligence Bureau, Detective 
Inspector Gary Knowles, said the plan was an important step towards 
tackling the problem.

He believed life imprisonment for serious methamphetamine-related offences 
was appropriate.

Police were now coming across manufacturers in routine traffic stops - with 
chemicals and drug-making paraphernalia being found in vehicles.

Competition between rival manufacturers had forced "cooks" to become more 
mobile. It was not just an urban problem - police were finding labs in 
farmhouses, motels and unused warehouses.

The youngest person police had found using methamphetamine was a 9-year-old.

Green MP Nandor Tanczos welcomed the plan, saying the solution to the 
problem was in education, treatment and reducing drug supplies.

"For far too long the focus of drug prevention has been on policing users, 
while those who have wanted to get off drugs have been scrambling to find 
places to help them," he said.

Mr Anderton said the Budget had provided $2.55 million a year for community 
initiatives to combat the drug and $150,000 a year for a national drug 
information analyst to gather data for the National Drug Policy.

The Budget provided $620,000 a year for operating funding for a pilot South 
Island youth residential service to support young people on drugs. A 
further $250,000 will be given as a one-off start-up payment.

Customs is to receive $1.9 million to enhance drug teams in the three 
largest centres and to employ a further 12 specialist drug investigators 
and four intelligence analysts.

The Government will invest between $15 million and $25 million for 
specialist x-ray technology, and employ an extra 130 Customs staff.

Police received $6.6 million over four years for two police teams trained 
to clean up methamphetamine laboratories, and $100,000 a year will go on 
staff to manage and supervise Youthline volunteers 24 hours a day.
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