WORKSHOPS TO TARGET P IN SCHOOLS

Teachers are attending drug workshops to try to prevent pure
methamphetamine from entering schools.

The Foundation for Alcohol and Drug Education (Fade) is holding
workshops in each region to spread information about pure
methamphetamine, also known as P, pure, crystal or ice. Three
workshops will be held in Waikato schools next month.

Fade executive director Colin Bramfitt said P was the drug teachers,
parents and health professionals could not ignore -- it was readily
available and extremely addictive.

"It's in some of our schools already and it obviously has the
potential to cause problems way beyond learning difficulties."

Teachers from Hamilton's public schools have been invited to a
workshop at Melville High School on August 26.

Workshops will also be held at Morrinsville College on August 25 and
at the Waikato-Bay of Plenty Principals Association meeting in Taupo
on August 28.

Melville High School principal Margot Crate said she had yet to hear
of P at school. Mr. Bramfitt said several high schools had requested
information about the drug.

Fade was also receiving calls from companies that were seeing
methamphetamine problems in the work place.

Last month Morrinsville College principal John Inger published
information about the drug in the school's newsletter so parents could
be wary of it.