ONE TRY IS ALL IT TAKES TO GET HOOKED

The information that some users can become addicted to the drug
methamphetamine after only one trip has horrified Taupo parents.

They were among the 150 or so people who turned out to a meeting in Taupo
outlining the dangers of the Class A drug.

It is proving a big business as gangs move into manufacturing, reaping
anything from $150 for a point or 1/10g up to $18,000 for an ounce.

Police say the cost of the drug drives many people to crime to pay for
their addiction.

During question time, one father pointed out that young people often want
to try something for themselves and can be subject to peer pressure.

Among the major concerns about the use of meth is growing evidence of a
link with mental illness.

It can be smoked, snorted, injected, drunk or eaten. Users get a rush
within five to 30 minutes and the high can last four to 24 hours.

However, addiction therapistJacqui Gregory says the aftermath can be
extremely tough.

The crash, or coming down off the drug, can last one to three days and the
withdrawal period is anything from 30 to 90 days.

The immediate short -term effects after taking the drug can include
sweating, being energetic, hyperactive or talking a lot.

Users may lose their appetite, not want to sleep, suffer pupil dilation,
grind their teeth and suffer from impaired speech, numbness, or dizziness.

Parents, partners or friends looking for signs of drug use should watch for
sensitivity to noise, false sense of confidence, incessanttalking, extreme
moodiness, extreme weight loss, tremors or convulsions, disinterest in
previously enjoyed activities and severe depression.

Users can also lose their appetitite, behave aggressively or violently, and
indulge in nervous physical activity such as scratching.

Longer term users can indulge in 'bugging', where they imagine insects are
crawling under their skin, and scratch so hard they cause sores.

The presence of drug paraphernalia can also indicate drug use.

Point bags - small plastic snaplock bags around half the size of a driver's
licence - may be littered around a bedroom or inside a vehicle.

Other paraphenalia includes lightbulbs, wine glasses and spoons which show
signs of being heated, razor blades, mirrors, straws, syringes and surgical
tubing.

Jacqui Gregory, a therapist with the Taupo Addiction Resource Centre at
Waiora House, says people can help someone on meth by being supportive.

She says family and friends can help by encouring a user to stop and to
seek professional help, either from the centre or through a general practioner.

She says being a friend may even save a life.

Most people who use the Taupo Addiction Centre are what's known as self
referrals - they come in of their own accord or because they have been
encouraged to.