Learn More About Meth
Ka whai i te whānuitanga o ngā kōrero mō te Tiota Whakaihi.
Methamphetamine (also called meth, ice, crystal, crack, P, Tina) is a strong and addictive stimulant.
Methamphetamine, often just called meth or P, is an amphetamine drug ‘cooked’ in illegal ‘labs’. Meth can come as a pill, powder, crystal or liquid and is often smoked in a glass pipe or bong. Meth can also be swallowed, snorted or injected.
How it feels
When you use meth it goes to the brain where it causes a lot of the feel-good chemical called dopamine to be released. This can make you feel full of energy, very talkative, good about yourself and want to have sex. You may also feel less hungry.
When you use a lot of meth, or use meth for a long time, you can become angry and have big mood swings. You will also see, hear, or feel things that aren’t there – called hallucinations – and make bad decisions that hurt yourself, your family and your friends. These bad things happen more often when you don’t get enough sleep.
Meth is highly addictive, which means that once you start using meth you’ll find it very hard to stop, even if you see the harm it is causing to yourself and the people around you.
Meth is easy to buy and it estimated that there are about 140,000 people using meth in New Zealand.
Things to look out for
When you use a lot of meth, you can find it hard to see how it is hurting you, and the people around you. Check with someone you trust and ask them for their honest opinion of what they see happening, and of any behavioural changes.
Cooking meth is also very dangerous as the chemicals are dangerous and can explode. It is even more risky when the person cooking the drug doesn’t know a lot about it, or is also using drugs.
Calling for help
Using a lot of meth, or a bad batch of meth can kill you.
For help phone the DHB 24 hour local helpline on 0800 800 508. In crisis? Call 111 and get help straight away if you, or someone you know has trouble breathing, a racing heart, chest pains, is having seizures, has passed out, becomes very angry or think others are trying to hurt you. This may save your life.
24hr Line
0800 800 508
Crisis Line
0800 543 345
24hr Helpline
0800 787 797
Need to Talk?
0508 272 834
Directory of Support Services for Drug Addiction Support
Our Directory of nationwide and local organisations is here to help guide you to find the support you need, whether it be counselling, support groups, helplines, recovery and support programmes or rehab facilities.
Kua whakakotahi mai nga ratonga Awhina, kia Kaha Tautoko ai to tatou whānau kua raru ai I ēnei tūmomo Warawara Waipiro me nga Tarutaru.
