There’s been a lot of publicity about synthetic drugs in the last few months, and now, here in Waiuku we are feeling the eff
ects of it.
Frightening enough are the stories of the effects of the drugs and the horrors of withdrawal, but to know that it has entrenched itself in our town and is destroying the lives of people in our community… is a down right horror. We have had reports of local people losing their livelihood, family break ups, violence and suicidal tendencies.
Information readily available on the internet outlines the effects of these synthetic drugs. Where, older style drugs like heroin and cocaine could cause a deterioration in your quality of life or lead to overdose, the new drugs can destroy you by triggering psychotic episodes of hallucinations, aggression, paranoia, suicidal thoughts or homicidal tendencies – some resulting in assaults, murders and suicides. The effects of synthetic drugs can be so violent that it not only takes out the drug user but those adults and children in the vicinity. Physical effects of these drugs include higher blood pressure, possible heart attack or stroke, rapid heart rate, seizures, vomiting and confusion. High users of these drugs are our youths.
Chemists change the formula slightly as soon as one product becomes illegal. Move a few molecules and you have a new product on the market. This rebranding effort is their loophole around the law. New Zealand banned Spice, a synthetic cannabis, and yet now we have K2.
Would not an all-out ban on synthetic drugs be the answer? Other countries have made these synthetic drugs illegal, so why are we selling them in New Zealand? Perhaps difficult in the short term but how can we make a moral stand in our community?
New World Waiuku, Store Owner, Lex Mills has personally seen the effects of synthetic drugs on his staff and feels compelled to do something about it. Waiuku Sergeant Simon Palmer and his staff have had reports of violence, suicidal tendencies and the breakup of family units all linked to the use of synthetic drugs.
Despite its legal status we can do something about synthetic drugs taking a foothold in our town. As a town we need to stand up and say NO… So Waiuku… what can we do about it?
How can we affect the moral issue surrounding the purchase of synthetic drugs in our community?
In the Tuesday 18th June edition of The Post Newspaper, Lex Mills took a full page requesting feedback from the community. We at Waiuku Families, would like to help his efforts by making this feedback available in an online form. Key questions for our community are:
Should we PROMOTE those retailers who REFUSE to stock it in our region?
Should we NAME the retailers who make it available to our young people and others?
To send your feedback via email simply go to the WAIUKU FAMILIES WEBSITE SURVEY and fill in the form.
– Let your opinion count –
– Help our community say NO –
– Be part of the moral solution –
Our police are checking out who is stocking it in town and Nigel Ward at The Post Newspaper is speaking with Waitemata Health – Alcohol and Drug department about sending a rep to speak to families about the effects of synthetic drugs. We will keep you in the loop with progress on this event.
Waiuku Families Blog 