In a stirring speech, PM John Key has launched a war on this major scourge:
John Key – Tackling ‘P’
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I want to talk about a problem that is wrecking lives, wrecking families and fuelling crime. I’m here to speak about “P”. Methamphetamine, crank, ice, crystal. Call it what you will.
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‘P’is a seriously addictive, viciously destructive drug. It’s hugely damaging to those who take it and the people who share their lives. It comes hand in hand with violence. It allows gangs and organized crime to flourish It entices young people into criminal careers.P hurts not just users and their families but also law-abiding New Zealanders who suffer from the crime it creates.
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My message to gangs is clear: this government is coming after your business and we will use every tool we have to destroy it. We will be ruthless in our pursuit of you and the evil drug you push. …
Strong leadership, a bold promise. The media are right to hail Key as the nemesis of P, liberal doubters can be safely ignored.
Oh wait! That was 2009. Unfortunately, the war’s not looking so good from 2016:
Are we losing the war on meth?
There are concerns New Zealand’s facing a methamphetamine epidemic, with claims it’s becoming cheaper than alcohol.
Rosemary Reece-Morgan is 17 years sober but she still calls herself a recovering drug addict. She now runs The Retreat treatment clinic in south Auckland. “We have reached epidemic proportions, we have serious problems with methamphetamine right now.”
She says the number of people needing help for meth addiction has shot through the roof in the past six months, and users are telling her it’s almost cheaper to get on the pipe than it is to drink alcohol.
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Police and Customs seized three times more meth last year than in any other year, and reports show it’s easier to access than ever — more easy to get hold of than cannabis — and sources have told Newshub more and more drug users are switching to meth.
Nemesis Key has changed his tune too. His 2009 speech launching the War disappeared from his web site some time in the last year, and then there is this tweet…
Not with a bang, but a whimper. Maybe now we can have a rational discussion about drugs and how to manage them.
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