The worst meth hotspots in the country are scattered around the Bay of Plenty and families are crying out for help.
Kawerau and Ōpōtiki have had the highest meth use in the country, and Rotorua is not far behind.
A former addict, who now facilitates support groups around the region, is seeing first-hand the tightening grip of the drug, worsening violence and erratic behaviour as she takes daily calls from distressed parents through her support group.
It comes off the back of confronting figures showing police in the Bay of Plenty are dealing with more meth and amphetamine-related offences than any other region: more than 1kg consumed every week.
Hundreds more are convicted of crimes related specifically to the drug, and those who have seen the harm first-hand say it's not just those who use it who can be crippled by it.
The latest data from police shows there have been 60 proceedings this year, the most in the country.
A proceeding is each instant police deal with an offence, and it can be the same person on multiple occasions.
Last year there were 301 proceedings across the Bay, which added to the total of 1518 since 2014.
According to data from the Ministry of Justice, 196 people were convicted with meth offences in the Bay of Plenty, and 146 in the Waiariki area. These included Waihī, Thames, Taupō and Taumarunui.
Findings from the police wastewater drug testing programme reveal Bay of Plenty had one of the worst recorded methamphetamine use rates per capita, with about 720mg used a day. This was behind the East Coast region's 780mg, and Northland's 800mg.
The average daily drug use was per 1000 people in each police district from July to September last year.
The scheme tests for meth, ecstasy (MDMA), cocaine, fentanyl and heroin in what is, essentially, a national urine test.
Weekly, 1.15kg of meth is consumed in the region. It remains the most commonly detected illicit drug nationwide, with 12.6kg used each week.
Wastewater samples were collected from sites labelled Tauranga beach, Tauranga city, Whakatāne, Rotorua, Tokoroa, Ōpōtiki, Taupō, and Kawerau. Meth was the most prevalent drug from each site.
Kawerau and Ōpōtiki were the worst in the country, with 95 per cent prevalence.
Rotorua and Tokoroa were the third-worst in the country, with an 85 per cent positive test for the substance.
Former addict of 18 years Pauline Tai said "nothing's changing out there".
In fact, it was getting worse.
Ōpōtiki was her home town and what she saw when she went home was reflected in the usage numbers.
"It's really mamae [painful] for me to see ... it's getting worse."
People were driving around with guns and firing them, violence was worse, reckless driving was more frequent - all things she attributed to meth.
As a former user and seller, she said meth was more than just a high.
Stealing, lying, conniving and manipulation were attributes she said flourished in the depths of addiction, which she was no stranger to.
"Not even just with my family, it's with people in the community," she said.
"I saw people who hadn't even tried it and I'd sell the product ... I'd get them hooked so every week I'd have someone who wanted to get it, so I could get my fix."
She went to jail for two years in 2006 and again in 2018; the first time for selling meth, and the second for conspiracy.
Since getting clean after her last stint, she and three others began work to support the community out of their addictions, through STOP Mana Enhancing and Whare Rauora Healing from Meth.
More people indirectly affected by meth were reaching out for help, and the fortnightly Thursday groups at Apumoana Marae were gaining popularity.
"Nothing's changing out there so we need to be the change for our whānau."
She gets daily phone calls from parents who think their child is on meth and many blamed themselves, though they shouldn't.
She helped them spot warning signs like staying up late, constant cleaning even if there's not mess, always agitated, upset, angry, or mood swings, and constant arguing or violence in relationships.
When addicts are angry, Tai said it's because "they're pissed off with the world and they haven't got any way of getting meth".
"Everything can be all good and then, boom, everyone's an asshole."
Rent isn't paid, there's no food, and the power is about to get cut off, she's told by families.
"You'll do anything for a hit."
Dr Tony Farrell said high blood pressure, heart failure, high lung pressure, lung aneurysms, and strokes were some examples of the effects of the drug.
Farrell is one of a handful of GPs in the country who specialise in treating addiction.
Meth also caused psychosis, insomnia, depression, aggression, and significant problems with teeth. In severe cases, it can cause renal failure.
The drug destroyed the endings of dopamine-containing nerve cells, causing long-term issues in working memory, attention, and handling emotion.
Rotorua Budget Advisory Service manager Pakanui Tuhura said paying for things like accommodation, food and power took a backseat to the expensive addiction.
"When people start to disregard these costs, the whole household's physical health, mental wellbeing and relationships always suffer."
He said addictions limited the level of help they could provide as a budgeting service because, in the end, they needed to make decisions and follow through on any plans they're helped with.
Police Detective Senior Sergeant John Wilson said meth was linked to violence, theft, family harm, and major health issues.
No one was safe, he said, as it rippled through users, families, friends, and communities.
In the Bay of Plenty, there's a dedicated Organised Crime Squad in each of the four police areas, a District Organised Crime Squad, and a team of the National Organised Crime Group based in Tauranga.
Wilson said there was a focus on investigating, disrupting, and dismantling drug networks in New Zealand, and the ultimate goal was to reduce social harm in communities.
Police will continue using their discretion in a way that is consistent with the Prevention First model to reduce harm, provide support to those who need it.
Police also worked with families affected by meth, and gave information and advice to the community, around the "scourge" that is methamphetamine, he said.
• Anyone affected by drug addiction can seek help through the Alcohol and Drug Helpline on 0800 787 797, or free text 8681.
• STOP Mana Enhancing and Whare Rauora Healing from Meth hold groups around the region: in Rotorua, Taneatua, Waikaremoana, Te Teko, Ōpōtiki and Whakatāne.
• Group for people indirectly affected by meth meets fortnightly on Thursdays at Apumoana Marae.
• Information can be found on their Facebook pages.
• Anyone with information about drugs, suspicious financial activities, or the location of proceeds of crime should call police on 105, or anonymously on Crimestoppers: 0800 555 111.
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