Mum tells of son's drug habit

By BRIDGET CARTER

Elaine Ngamu got out of prison to find her son living in a house with no light bulbs.

The Auckland mother soon discovered why there were no light bulbs in the light fittings - her son was using them to smoke the drug P.

Ms Ngamu attended a hui last night at Northcote's Awataha Marae to discuss the dangers of pure methamphetamine.

The meeting was run by a group called Te Roopu O Ahi Kaa, which works to support people who have relatives affected by the drug. It was also supported by Cayad (Community Action on Youth and Drugs).

There are plans by Te Roopu O Ahi Kaa to run more meetings around the country.

Among those there were police officers, prison and Customs staff and gang members - mainly from the Headhunters who wore T-shirts with a "Ban the Burn" message.

But the turnout was not quite as large as that at an anti-P meeting held in Hastings just days ago.

Hawkes Bay Ngati Kahungungu elder and Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples also put in an early appearance. He said he applauded the gang members for attending.

Ms Ngamu, from Te Roopu O Ahi Kaa, was the meeting's first speaker and she explained how her son had become hooked on P while she had been in jail during the 1990s.

At the time she did not know much about the drug but now she wanted to make others aware of its dangers.

"The thought of him being out of his brain just made me feel like a real failure as a mother," she said.

"I just think there are other mothers out there and I don't want them to go through that."

She said she knew of kohanga reo teachers and an airline pilot who smoked P.

"It is not just a lower socio-economic or a Maori thing. It is also white collar."

Drug lord Waha Saifiti, who is currently serving a prison term for running a major P syndicate, had spoken about his regrets about involving himself with the drug, Ms Ngamu said.

Saifiti had said that his child's nappy had not been changed for weeks because he and his girlfriend were high. The nappy had to be surgically removed.

She said in homes where the drugs were manufactured, children helped themselves to Weet-Bix sitting next to highly toxic chemicals.

Ms Ngamu said P was also behind child abuse, domestic violence and that those who were hooked committed crime to pay for the drug and also just because they were on a high.

Headhunter Peter Iro from West Auckland said he was surrounded by the drug and he did not like it.

He was hoping to get the gangs together to unite and educate their members of its dangers. "It is a mind bender. It destroys people, especially the kids. That is what concerns me."