'P' VIOLENCE FEARED

People using the drug "P", or crystal methamphetamine are threatening
to kill others and prone to violent outbursts, says Nelson Marlborough
Alcohol and Drug Service manager Eileen Varley.

One Blenheim man with a history of drug use had described it as the
most evil drug he had ever tried.

Detective Inspector John Winter of Nelson said it was the "biggest
problem on the horizon" for police.

It was readily available in the region and two laboratories had been
found here.

Ms Varley said people had been taken into mental health care after
taking the class A drug and "P" and amphetamines were now commonly
being found in the urine tests of methadone users in the region.

"P" affects the central nervous system, increasing physical activity
and the ability to stay awake.

It also has the potential to cause psychosis, which affects the entire
personality and is often characterised by illusions, delusions,
hallucinations and confusion.

Its use has been linked to several high-profile crimes including the
Auckland RSA murders in 2001, where three people were killed.

"We have really noticed it growing in the past six months," Ms Varley
said.

"We had one guy driving his motorbike at some ridiculous speed up a
Nelson street after taking 'P' and he didn't know what he was doing.
"In Blenheim, we had to put a guy in the cells because he was so
violent - the staff were afraid of him. It was quite frightening and
took him two weeks to come down off it.

"This was someone we would never have thought would have been
violent."

Luckily, staff had been able to control all the situations they had
been faced with, she said.

Christchurch-based consultant psychiatrist Roger Morgan held a
presentation on the drug for Nelson health workers, police, court
workers and school representatives last Friday.

He cited one case where a woman went into hospital after peeling the
skin off her face because, while on 'P', she thought insects were
crawling under her skin.

Mr Winter said police were trying to assess the drug's use in the
region.

A "point", or 100ml, of the drug was selling for about
$100.

Some people were known to spend up to $2000 a week to feed their
addiction. The drug can be taken orally, smoked or taken
intravenously.

Mr Winter said LSD was also making a comeback as one of the "drugs of
choice" in the dance scene.

Mr Morgan, who works at the Kennedy Detox Unit at Hillmorton Hospital,
said it was easy to make "P" from cold and flu tablets and "a couple
of other products", and for $7 or $8 drug dealers were making a profit
of $7000 or $8000.

Drug laboratories were also so easy to transport they were being
driven around in the back of vehicles.

Mr Winter said with a lack or dedicated resources, police were
focusing on enforcement, risk assessment, training staff and the
community about the drug and breaking down drug syndicates within the
region.