Opinion: A powerful message against addiction

Anything that dissuades a young person from venturing down the path to addiction, and ultimately despair, has to be a good thing.

At first, it was hard to comprehend what you were viewing.

A young man and woman in a garage look like they are re-enacting a scene from a zombie apocalypse movie.

The woman leans forward, seemingly struggling to move and vomits. She looks straight into the camera but doesn't - or can't - speak. A young man sits across from her, his head thrown back and his mouth wide open, letting out deep-throated groans.

They appear to be suffering some sort of trauma.

An Auckland man posted the clip. He says the young woman barely able to sit upright in the video is his sister, and he posted the video because he is sick of seeing young people using drugs.

It is not clear what the pair have taken, but on the video, the man says: "Update: It's basically bath salts which is synthetic stimulants, but it could be spice which is synthetic marijuana. Either way, both do the same thing."

Spice is a synthetic cannabis and is extremely potent. It is at the centre of an epidemic across Britain and the United States, with many pictures showing users slumped in trance-like states, leading it to be described as a zombie drug.

The video has been viewed more than a million times and sparked a flood of comments online, many expressing shock and disbelief.

It carries a powerful anti-drug message.

There is nothing glamorous on show. It's sad, confusing and disturbing. Why would anyone willingly put themselves in such a state? What can be going on in their lives that this is seen as a form of escape?

The real power is that any young person who viewed it would think twice about venturing down the same path. Perhaps it will also serve as inspiration for those caught in the clutch of drug addiction - a harsh reflection of their lives.

Closer to home, a group of concerned locals are trying to raise awareness of the dangers of methamphetamine.

A seminar will be held at Tauranga Boys' College next month to alert parents to the telltale signs that a young person might be using the drug.

Brave Hearts; a registered local charity set up by Tauranga police officer Senior Constable Lindsay Smith, also known as "Red", together with Mount businesswoman Erin O'Neill, organised the seminar.

As reported in today's paper, O'Neill was inspired to start the group to support families coping with the fallout of having a loved one addicted to methamphetamine after her son became addicted at just 15 while still at school, an addiction which lasted 10 years. He is now clean.

It's great to see a community response to this problem. Anything that dissuades a young person from venturing down the path to addiction, and ultimately despair, has to be a good thing.