P STANDS FOR PLAYING WITH PERIL

Once, in more innocent times, it was little more than the 16th letter of
the alphabet. Today, P is a dangerous drug that, according to Lew Findlay,
chairman of Drug-Arm Palmerston North, has reached epidemic proportions in
the city, comments an editorial in the Manawatu Standard.

Its real name is methamphetamine and nationally, say the police, its
prevalence has reached a point of crisis. Otherwise known as speed, meth,
crank or gooey, it's a synthetic drug quite easily manufactured in drug
labs, some of them mobile, and most of which are gang-controlled. It can be
manufactured from readily available ingredients. It's gained acceptance
among many young people because it's a social drug - it makes you feel good.

As many are now finding to their cost, it's not a social drug. It's
addictive and extremely harmful. It stimulates the central nervous system
and users often can't think rationally.

They become psychotic and, as police and hospital staff around the country
are finding every weekend, there is no reasoning with them. More and more
young people, some very young, have suddenly found themselves hooked. The
drug costs money, they need more, they borrow from dubious friends and all
too suddenly find themselves in the grip of gang members who get their
money back by turning youngsters to prostitution and crime.

Police concern about the spread of P has been growing for some time, and
with good reason. Police and Maori leaders who have taken an educational
road show around Auckland schools, health groups and other organisations
have reported people in tears when they learned how dangerous and
destructive the drug could be. In the north, the drug has been linked with
a major rise in crime, including armed robberies, violence and car chases.
Of course, many crimes are carried out simply to get more money to buy more
P. In such a vicious circle, young people are often finding there is no way
out.

So how bad is this P problem? According to Mr Findlay, Drug-Arm gets calls
every week from distraught parents. In the past four months, the
organisation has sent out 400 information packs to worried parents. That's
more than three a day. Of that number, he estimates about one-third come to
Drug-Arm to talk. Mr Findlay does not pull punches. "Drugs rip families
apart," he says. Children steal from their parents who get upset and start
to argue about what should be done. "And meanwhile, the kid is blowing
their brains out. P is a drug of no return."

Parent education is seen as a key plank towards fighting the further spread
of the drug. Palmerston North Rotary Club has just given $10,000 to the
anti-drug programme Dare to start parent education courses in Manawatu,
teaching parents what to look for, among other things. As well, there's an
emphasis on getting an anti-drug message to children when they are aged
between eight and 10. Why so young? Some children aged between 12 and 14
have already found drugs.

P is for pressing - the spread of the drug here and elsewhere has to be
faced and stopped.

One more thing: US President George Bush has won an Israeli pledge to start
dismantling settlement outposts and the Palestinians will call for an end
to the armed struggle for nationhood. This sort of promise from both sides
has been heard before. But wouldn't the world become a happier place if
both sides abided by their commitments this time and the belligerents who
don't want peace disappeared?