Up to 7 deaths apparently linked to synthetic cannabis
AUCKLAND: Seven people are dead after using synthetic cannabis this month in Auckland, and ambulance staff say they see up to 20 users a day suffering ‘‘lifethreatening effects’’ from the illegal drug.
The deaths have prompted the Chief Coroner and police to issue a public warning about synthetic cannabis.
Chief Coroner Judge Deborah Marshall said the seven dead were believed to have used synthetic cannabis recently or were found with it on them.
‘‘I’ve also been advised by St John that there have been a significant number of nonfatal cases where people have been hospitalised after using the drug, which is known to cause potentially fatal seizures,’’ Judge Marshall said.
‘‘While the police and coronial investigations are still at an early stage, and the final causes of death have yet to be established, the number of cases where synthetic cannabis appear to have been a contributing factor has prompted me to issue this public warning.’’
Police are releasing CCTV footage that shows a man in the Auckland CBD last year unable to stand after smoking synthetic cannabis.
Detective Inspector Gary Lendrum said police were doing this to highlight the effects of synthetic cannabis.
‘‘We have grave concerns, as users don’t know what poisonous chemicals they are potentially putting into their bodies when they’re smoking this drug,’’ he said.
Det Insp Lendrum said police had searched multiple properties and arrested numerous people across Auckland as they cracked down on the drug.
One synthetic cannabis operation in Avondale had resulted in 12 arrests over the past few months.
‘‘It is a dangerous, illegal substance and we will arrest those who are selling this harmful drug and place them before the courts,’’ he said.
Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne said he was ‘‘desperately concerned’’ that illegal synthetic drugs were leading to deaths.
He said he had warned of the consequences of having an unregulated market when synthetic drugs were banned in 2014 until they could pass a rigorous testing regime.
‘‘This is precisely what we were trying to stamp out at the time of that legislation.
‘‘I warned at the time . . . that this would create a black market that would be far more dangerous than a regulated market. And, sadly, that’s what’s it’s proved to be.
‘‘The testing regime is now in place, but it is not functional because the Government banned the use of animal testing to prove whether recreational drugs were lowrisk. A nonanimal test has not yet developed which can provide robust results about the risk level of a drug.’’
Mr Dunne said he had urged officials to update him about any alternatives that would allow the testing regime to work.
The Government was also working with other countries on establishing an early warning system for psychoactive substances that might be coming across the border. It was likely to be in place next year.
‘‘Had it been in place, that would have, I think, had some preventative effect in these instances,’’ he said.
NZ First police spokesman Ron Mark said the Government was partly to blame because it was sending the wrong message to the public by legalising synthetic drugs.
‘‘We were always going to end up in this sad situation. There is a subtle message that says taking synthetic drugs is OK, and we have a problem with that.’’
Mr Mark said the Government’s plan for a regulated market was a ‘‘pipe dream’’ that had failed. The Government should instead be increasing its policing of drug manufacturing and dealing, he said.
‘‘Take these drug dealers off the streets. Put then in jail. Eliminate them. That’s clearly not happening.’’
He also said police had failed to completely get rid of synthetic drugs when they were banned in 2014.
‘‘You can go to any city in the country and buy this stuff. And the Government sits there turning its Nelson’s eye.’’
St John medical director Tony Smith said the service was dealing with ‘‘up to seven deaths that appear to be linked to synthetic cannabis’’.
He said up to 20 people a day were showing up at hospitals, mainly in Auckland, with ‘‘lifethreatening effects’’.
People were losing consciousness and having seizures, and in some cases their hearts had stopped. St John ‘‘believed’’ the cases to be related to synthetic cannabis.
‘‘We don’t know what this drug actually is; it’s just been labelled synthetic cannabis.’’
Mr Smith said St John did not know if the product was a specific brand or type of synthetic cannabis, but police were working to identify that. — NZME