Synthetic drug use sparks meeting
A public meeting is being held in west Auckland to confront synthetic drug use.
Organiser Penny Hinchelwood said it was easy to blame politicians for the current situation – but it was beholden on everybody to come together to deal with the issue.
Local people have recently died after inhaling the drugs, including two from the same family, she said.
‘‘It’s horrible out there.’’ The meeting at the Glen Eden Community House on October 4 would draw together people from across the suburb. This included affected families, emergency services, politicians, teachers and social agencies, Hinchelwood said.
There would also be ex-addicts speaking ‘‘because they are the teachers, at the end of the day’’.
Glen Eden Community Patrol and the Glen Eden Residents Association had called the meeting. Hinchelwood was a member of both and said she had recently walked past ‘‘two gentlemen in a comatose state’’ in the local shopping centre, Glenmall.
People were walking past ‘‘like it was just an everyday occurrence’’, she said. ‘‘I kind of get it, but I kind of don’t – because these people could die,’’ she said. Hinchelwood hoped the meeting would be educational.
The public meeting would be held at the Glen Eden Community House, October 4, 7.30pm.