TOWN MEETS TO DISCUSS P

Feilding parents wanting information and support about the serious effects
of the methamphetamine P have help at hand on Monday night.

Feilding and Districts Youth Board and the Manchester Lions Club are
running an information evening about P, at 7.30pm in the Feilding Civic
Centre's concert chamber.

Board co-ordinator Robyn Duncan said speakers from the police, mental
health and a pharmacist would talk about what P did to people who took it.

Manawatu Mayor Ian McKelvie would also speak, to lend community support to
helping with the problem.

Information meetings about P have been held all round New Zealand over the
past few months.

About 250 Palmerston North parents wanting help turned out to a meeting in
the city on Wednesday night. Mrs Duncan said it was important parents knew
more about the drug and how it affected users, because then they could
recognise what was going on.

The real problem - getting kids off P or stopping them starting in the
first place - was one all society had to tackle.

Meanwhile, the youth board and Feilding police youth aid officer John
Samuela hoped parents who wanted more help would form support groups from
Monday night's meeting.

"Parents who are seeing their kids going through this drug can help each
other and support each other," Mrs Duncan said.

"We've managed to get a place where parents can meet for free; cost has
been the sticking point for support groups until now."