Nana, Where's Mummy?

Thursday 28 Aug 2003 Dr Muriel Newman Press Releases -- Crime & Justice

It is outrageous that, while the Government continues to drag its feet on methamphetamines, a growing number of grandparents are being left to raise children whose parents are meth addicts, ACT New Zealand Police Spokesman Dr Muriel Newman said today.

"Reports today say that more and more children are being left in their grandparents' custody because their meth-addicted parents cannot care for them. Family breakdown can now be added to the list of this drug's damaging consequences," Dr Newman said.

"But the Government already knows this. Communities throughout the country have called for action, police have admitted they cannot cope with rising meth use, and recent statistics revealed a 67.2 percent rise in drug crime - aside from cannabis - since Labour took office.

"Yet still Labour dawdles. This government has only recently re-classified meth as a Class A drug, and dragged its feet on allocating it a drug code to allow police to record it as a specific drug crime.

"Children exposed to their parents' drug use are at risk of developing long-term psychological problems, which will plague them into adulthood. Not only is Labour's apathy impacting on society today, it is damaging our future generations.

"Every government has a duty to ensure the safety of the public - something the soft-on-crime Labour Government seems to have forgotten. Meth is damaging society on all levels, through addiction, violence, crime and family breakdown.

"I am calling on Police Minister George Hawkins and his Labour colleagues to fast-track the commencement of police meth response teams, to allow police to crack down on drug crime, and ensure the safety of our children," Dr Newman said.

ENDS

For more information visit ACT online at http://www.act.org.nz or contact the ACT Parliamentary Office at act@parliament.govt.nz.

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