A rented house has been demolished and a layer of topsoil removed from its section because the property was so badly contaminated by a secret P lab.

Police warn they will be proactive in cracking down on newly banned drugs under a law which came into effect at midnight.

An Auckland man has appeared in court in Brisbane today charged with trafficking synthetic cannabis into Australia.

Dairy owners are discounting legal highs as they scramble to clear their stocks ahead of looming new restrictions.

Two champion weightlifting brothers face serious drugs charges - including the alleged supply of a new "designer drug" not cleared for human consumption.

A new generation of legal highs could be hitting shelves as early as this summer, despite a bill that puts the onus of safety on manufacturers.

Eminem says his addiction to prescription drugs left him with near-organ failure.

One in every eight patients admitted to an acute psychiatric unit had been using the synthetic cannabis K2, an audit published today has found.

Fresh charges of corruption and bribery have been laid against former police officer Peter Pakau, who is alleged to have organised drug runs and tipped of gangsters.

A charity set up to combat methamphetamine use and fronted by the Sir Paul Holmes before he died has stopped operating after failing to raise enough funds.

Fred was in his mid-20s when a car accident on a busy Auckland road left him with serious injuries that would require months of rehabilitation.

Recreational steroid use by New Zealanders has been described as a "huge elephant in the room" by a leading voice in the fight against doping.

Kris McKenzie loved his puppy, Oden. One day, inexplicably, Kris flew into a rage, grabbed Oden and threw him into a wall.

A student drug dealer who was "given a chance" by a judge is on the run after more than $100,000 was found in his wardrobe.

An increase in the number of patients showing up at emergency departments paranoid and agitated on synthetic cannabis is delaying the treatment of more worthy cases, says an emergency doctor.

Dion Chammey first tried synthetic cannabis a couple of years ago for recreation, but after a traumatic event it became an ingrained part of his lifestyle and almost impossible to kick, he says.

Synthetic drug users are holding up worthy emergency cases in hospital emergency departments across the country, a senior doctor says.

Troubled Wallabies star Kurtley Beale admitted he thought long and hard about sitting out the showpiece Lions test series to focus on overcoming his alcohol problems.

Party pills will be removed from many dairies and grocery stores earlier than expected after a Lotteries Commission crackdown.

New Zealand Lotteries has demanded that 600 retailers stop selling party pills and synthetic cannabis alongside Lotto products.

NSW is leading the charge against synthetic drugs after Sydney teenager Henry Kwan fell to his death from the balcony of his home after taking a synthetic version of LSD.

Grandparents have spoken out at the anguish of their grandchildren being "orphaned" by methamphetamine.