Danger drug hits our streets

A new pill made of a potentially fatal cocktail of chemicals is being sold as ecstasy in Rotorua.
Police and drug experts fear the new drug, mephedrone, could be fatal and are warning people against using it. They say it's still not known exactly what's used to make the drug and there have been several deaths linked to mephedrone in the UK.
Mephedrone, which is also known as Miaow, is often sold as a substitute for ecstasy.
Mephedrone originated in the UK and was originally sold as plant food. It started arriving in New Zealand last year.
Acting Bay of Plenty crime services manager Detective Inspector Tim Anderson said the district's drug problem had grown in recent years, as it had nationwide.
He said methamphetamine (P) and cannabis were still the most commonly used drugs in Rotorua but police had noticed an increase in drugs like mephedrone.
"We work hard against the tide of drugs and that's proven in the number of arrests we have made during recent years."
Police were concerned about mephedrone, he said.
"We are seeing drugs coming in which are a mix of chemicals and people just have no idea what they are taking. People need to be extremely careful about what they are doing to themselves and others."
New Zealand Drug Foundation executive director Ross Bell said mephedrone started arriving in New Zealand last year. It took New Zealand customs officials "a while" to identify the shipments of mephedrone coming in.
Experts were concerned about the drug as it had not been tested and the chemicals in it were not known.
"It is being passed off as ecstasy and that is where the risk lies. People don't really know what they are getting. No one has been able to research this and no one knows the health side effects."
Mr Bell said there were concerns the combination of chemicals used to make mephedrone could be fatal.
"People try to cook up drugs similar to ecstasy and sell them off. People take them expecting them to be like ecstasy but if they don't feel the effects straight away they may take more, causing them to overdose."
Mr Bell said it had become harder to obtain pure MDMA, the substance contained in ecstasy, and tests on seized drugs had shown it was often laced with P, BZP or caffeine.
"Drug manufacturers don't need to abide by any consumer standards. It's an illegal market. If makers can't get MDMA they'll stick in whatever they can get."