HEALTH STAFF GET P MENACE MESSAGE

Health workers in western Bay of Plenty will receive intensive training to
keep them safe from people using pure methamphetamine, known as P.

Up to 200 staff will attend seminars this month.

The Bay of Plenty District Health Board's quality and risk manager, Brent
MacDonald, said the board had to prepare staff for the dangers of P and
teach workers who went into the community what signs to look for.

The training is part of a regional offensive against P.

The Waikato, Lakes, Taranaki and Tairawhiti health boards are taking similar
steps.

Mr MacDonald said there were different health risks for various medical
professionals.

For staff working in the community, especially those who went to private
homes where P might be present, the dangers were increased by the possible
threat of firearms.

"We will be telling them to be wary, because often where there is P there
are arms," Mr MacDonald said.

Staff would also be taught the signs a person high on P might display,
including violence, extreme thirst and teeth-grinding.

Mr MacDonald said that at least once a day Tauranga Hospital's emergency
department staff had to deal with people who they suspected were under the
influence of drugs.

"They'll exhibit extreme violence, mood swings, abuse and real aggression to
staff."

Staff could not say for sure what proportion of these cases were caused by
P, because no test was available to administer to people suspected to be on
the drug.

Mr MacDonald said some people who came into the emergency department were so
uncontrollable that security guards or the emergency mental health team had
to be called in to deal with them.

- - NZPA