Latest from Social Issues

P letter lands advert agency in hot water
An Auckland advertising agency has apologised for sending a letter to hundreds of people, inviting them to try the drug P.

Pill-popper celebrities lead trend to legal drug abuse
Tragedies like Brittany Murphy's death suggest the celebrity habit of prescription pill-popping is spreading.

P chemical theft could be worth $1b
One thousand litres of hypophosphorus acid, a key ingredient in P manufacturing, was stolen from a factory in January, it was revealed this week.

<i>Kerre Woodham:</i> Kick abusers off the dole
If some beneficiaries are too dangerous to be dealt with face-to-face, their benefits should be cancelled says Kerre Woodham.

Lisa Cropp denies criticising industry
Top jockey Lisa Cropp has denied calling others in the racing industry "back- stabbing pricks", as she seeks to return from disqualification for a positive methamphetamine test.

Our worry list - jobs, costs, savings
New Zealanders worry most about the cost of living, their savings and whether they will keep their jobs, a survey shows.

Dole not cut as long as work sought - Bennett
Beneficiaries who undergo a review after a year on an unemployment benefit will not lose that assistance if they can't find work, Paula Bennett says.

No excuse for not investigating child abuse - minister
Police Minister Judith Collins has made a commitment to addressing any problems an inquiry into police handling of child abuse cases finds.

Waterview: the safe and sacrificed
The Transport Agency has this week announced yet another route change for its $1.15 billion Waterview motorway project.

Woman who cut billboard avoids prosecution
An Anglican priest has decided not to press charges against a woman who slashed a controversial billboard outside his church.

'I was like an Egyptian pharaoh conserved alive'- Kampusch
A kidnap victim reveals in a new film how her captor shaved her head, forbade her to cry and brutally abused her during eight years in a cellar.