DRUG GROUP PLEADS FOR CASH AND HELP

A year after Palmerston North Drug-Arm closed its student support
group, parents are still phoning it seeking help for their
drug-addicted children.

Thatz Enuff - a Drug-Arm youth group - closed in the middle of last
year when its funding dried up.

But Shirley Mackay, administrator for Drug-Arm's parent body
Palmerston North Street Vans Inc, said 10 to 15 parents were still
ringing the service each week.

Drug-Arm co-ordinator Lew Findlay said the organisation was being
forced to turn away parents' phonecalls as "we don't have enough hours
in the day to do the work".

Thatz Enuff - formed eight years ago - was supported by grants from
groups such as the Lotteries Commission. At its peak, Thatz Enuff
boasted three full-time youth workers.

However, funding cuts meant the service could no longer be maintained
and Mr Findlay was forced to find volunteers to run the programme.

"People just would not believe what we have seen. Professional working
parents, good parents at the end of their tether who don't know what
to do about their drug-addicted children. Parents just sit in here and
cry, they have nowhere else to go."

Mr Findlay said Drug-Arm was applying for funding "from everywhere
possible", but was "definitely not" closing down.

Mrs Mackay said the organisation was desperate for help from anyone
who had experience dealing with drug-addicted teens.

Mr Findlay said Thatz Enuff had seen a number of success
stories.

Among them, a young man who committed up to 30 burglaries a week to
support his drug habit. He became a volunteer with the programme.

"How much does that save society in insurance costs and repairs?" Mr
Findlay said.