MP TAKES ANTI-P MESSAGE TO PEOPLE OF THE FAR NORTH

Northland MP John Carter is preparing to tackle the region's growing
methamphetamine scourge by taking the problem directly to Far North
communities.

He has called a public conference in Kaikohe on May 1 to try to raise
community awareness about the drug, commonly known as P.

The MP hopes one important outcome of the meeting will be a community
"buy-in" to own and help eliminate the P problem through support available
from police, health and other government agencies.

"The police can't deal with this on their own. It's beyond their ability to
solve the problem so it's the community that has to be at the forefront," Mr
Carter said.

He believes communities must take total ownership of the P problem for it to
be ultimately eradicated.

The conference, to be held in the Kaikohe War Memorial Hall on Saturday
week, will hear from "experienced" speakers, several of whom include P users
and former users.

Police and regional health provider representatives will be present to offer
information and advice.

People attending will be told of signs to look for which could indicate an
operational methamphetamine manufacturing lab.

At least four labs have been discovered in the Far North in recent months,
two of them in the Kerikeri and Kaikohe areas, after chemical-related
explosions left the lab operator injured.

Two others, including equipment and chemicals for a mobile lab found in the
back of a speeding car, were uncovered by police in the Kaitaia area.