It's the drug combination that's worse than P.
We all know that New Zealand has a methamphetamine problem. Some drug rehabilitation centres are reporting that up to 65 percent of its residents are recovering from P addiction. But the more worrying problem is the new trend emerging - that of mixing P with GHB.
Up to 50 percent of clinic admissions are users of both drugs, and say that the two now go hand in hand. You can't use one without the other.
GHB has often been described as a date rape drug or 'roofies'. It was first imported into NZ in the early 2000s where it was labelled as a CD cleaner.
However within the last two years, clinics have seen the rise of GHB being used in combination with P.
The combination of drugs is far more dangerous than straight P usage due to the erratic effects on the body.
GHB is often the dominant drug, inducing a deep state of relaxation that can induce instant, unpredictable blackouts. The stimulating effects of methamphetamine are used to counteract the effects of the GHB.
The resulting combination results in a highly volatile state as the body is simultaneously depressed and stimulated.
The risks include paranoia, erratic heart beats, sudden black outs, and comas.
"The combination of the two is more dangerous than just one on its own," says former P and GHB addict Mitchell Ingram.
"You're up and down and up and down, your body has no idea what's going on."
The rise of this phenomenon is further exacerbating the stress New Zealand's rehabilitation centres are under.
Waiting lists at Higher Ground are already averaging around 70 people, and program director Johnny Dow would like to see at least another two clinics in Auckland.
"I reckon we would fill them," he says.
The question is now whether NZ is ready for this new phase of addiction?
Newshub.
