ANTI-P PROJECT PROVES POPULAR

An Anti-Drug Message Being Developed In West Auckland Is About To Take The
Country By Storm.

Waitakere and North Shore police iwi liaison officers Andre Morris and John
Cassidy have been working on an education package with Hoani Waititi Marae
representatives Pita Sharples, Novi Marikena and Shane White.

The five men have been promoting the scheme at marae and various
organisations including Work and Income and the Women's Refuge for the past
three to four months.

Last Friday it was unveiled to over 200 people, including officials from
the Police Commissioner's office, government departments and social
services agencies.

The scheme aims to combat the methamphetamine, or P, epidemic.

Mr Morris says demand for the programme has grown quickly and taken them
all by surprise.

He now hopes it will be available nationwide next month. Mr Morris says
different providers will be able to tailor the programme for their communities.

"Our style of presenting might be different in west Auckland than south
Auckland."

Mr Morris says Friday's meeting boosted community support of the scheme by
showing people how bad the methamphetamine problem is. "It was really
informative and we got good feedback," he says.

Waitakere Mayor Bob Harvey, who attended the meeting, agrees.

"I think it was an outstanding event, not just for Waitakere but the whole
of New Zealand," Mr Harvey says.

"Out of the meeting came stories of young New Zealanders selling themselves
for P. It just creates an absolutely destructive situation.

"I think it's the most serious problem our young people face because it's
so addictive. This is really dicing with death."

Mr Harvey says the education programme is a step in the right direction.

"This initiative, from this marae, will now be taken nationwide."