To be attributed to Senior Sergeant Anita Dixon – Area Response Manager Kapiti
A 27 year old Kapiti man was airlifted to Wellington Hospital on Monday 22 February following a suspected drug overdose. Last night, the man passed away in the Intensive Care Unit at the hospital.
Kapiti-Mana Police executed a search warrant at a Waikanae address last night and arrested and charged a 25 year old man with drug-related offences. He is appearing in the Porirua District Court this morning.
We are continuing our investigations this morning, including a further search of the property and to see whether there is a link to the man’s death and the drug supplied.
This is one of four reports that Kapiti Police have received of people having taken a recreational drug and needing to be hospitalised due to the adverse effects.
Police believe all incidents are related and involve the drug Alpha PVP (APVP), commonly referred to as “bath salts”.
The reactions of the people affected include hallucinations, erratic and aggressive behaviour, seizures and loss of consciousness.
Police are concerned that more people may have purchased the drug from this supplier or another, not knowing exactly what they have. If anyone has purchased any such drug over the last week, Police recommend destroying it.
While it is reassuring that we have been able to move quickly to identify this particular supplier of drugs, it is a reminder to people about the dangers of recreational drug use, and a drug that is currently available that is causing such adverse reactions.
More and more often we are seeing dealers ‘cutting’ drugs with other substances that make the effects unpredictable and highly dangerous. There is no such thing as a ‘reliable’ or ‘safe’ high. In this case, the pursuit of a high has cost this young man his life and at least three others have been very lucky to survive.
Kicking a drug habit is hard, but it’s not as hard as a family having to come to terms with the loss of a loved one. Please, if you are using recreational drugs, or you know a friend or family member who is, get help. There are a range of services out there to help people so we don’t have to lose any more lives needlessly.
http://www.police.govt.nz/advice/drugs-and-alcohol/drugs-and-alcohol-getting-help
-ENDS-
Editor’s notes:
As this is an ongoing investigation Police are unable to make any further comment or provide any further detail at this time.