Meth admissions strain Waikato health services
HAMILTON: Methamphetaminerelated admissions to mental health services in Waikato have more than doubled in the last five years.
Figures show there were 40 admissions to Waikato Hospital’s Adult Mental Health Facility for methamphetamine use in 2014 and that now stands at 98.
Police, doctors and researchers report the region is awash with the drug and services are struggling to cope.
Hamilton police sergeant Aimee McKenna said the drug was a major driver of crime in the region, and throughout the rest of the country.
Family harm incidents, burglaries and violent offending tended to stem from methamphetamine, or took place against a background of the drug, she said.
As part of that, Sgt McKenna said Waikato had been allocated 120 extra staff to cope with the workload.
‘‘These staff are going to go into frontline organised crime and precision policing teams for the Waikato,’’ she said.
‘‘Basically it’s just to hold offenders to account who are fuelling drugrelated harm.’’
Waikato District Health Board addiction services clinical direc tor Tejpal Singh said methamphetamine was placing a huge strain on staff and resources.
He said the problem appeared to be getting worse as the price of methamphetamine decreased and the availability increased.
Dr Singh said the drug, which could be smoked, injected or snorted, could lead to users contracting HIV and Hepatitis C from dirty needles.
If things did not improve, the DHB would struggle.
‘‘If it increases even further then we do need more resources, we do need more beds for detoxing people.’’
Massey University associate professor of drug research Chris Wilkins said the methamphetamine trade was booming in rural towns, where domestic suppliers set up shop to hide from police.
Research suggested that in some rural towns, meth was easier to get than cannabis, he said.
Auckland and Waitemata DHBs reported slight increases in methamphetamine admissions, by 13 and 25 respectively.
Other DHBs said they did not report in a way that would identify methamphetamine as a reason for admission.