FAD DRUG KEEPS CLINIC STAFF BUSY

Doctors at Wellington's drug abuse clinic regularly dealed with at
least 30 addicts of the fad drug methamphetamine, a doctor told the
Police Association conference yesterday.

Geoff Robinson from Capital Coast Health's Drug Rehabilitation Clinic,
said some of his patients could use as much as two grammes of the
$150-a-gram substance every day.

Methamphetamine, known on the street as meth, speed, upper, bennies,
lid poppers, crystal, or crank, was the subject of yesterday morning's
discussion at the Talking Crime conference.

The drug, which comes as crystals, powder, chunks, and tablets can be
sniffed, injected or smoked; and is being manufactured illegally in
New Zealand.

Seventy per cent of the amphetamine products available on the street
were being prescribed by doctors, Dr Robinson said.

The drug was not physically addictive, but he said many of his
"customers" were psychological addicted to the euphoria, increased
libido and decrease in fatigue caused by the drug.

However, it also brought about acute paranoia and depression after use
and could lead to heart problems, he said.

Criminologist Greg Newbold, who also spoke yesterday, said the
methamphetamine trend was sure to gain momentum as local manufacturing
laboratories took over from imported sources.

Dr Newbold charted the fluctuating fashions in drugs in New Zealand,
saying the popularity of a drug was proportional to its accessibility
and the criminal classification.

The explosion in the abuse of methamphetamine was nowhere near as
dangerous as the heroin trend in the 1970s, he said.

Methamphetamine was harmless in many recreational users, he said, but
had been known to cause erratic behaviour in heavy users. Some users
would take another hit to avoid the depression associated with "coming
down". That meant further sleep deprivation, and could damage the
heart and brain.

Ecstasy was far less harmful as it worked by releasing a natural
chemical, seratonin, into the brain and could not become addictive as
the seratonin levels need to build up before they could be released
again.

Importation of Ecstasy was on the increase, he said.