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The Facts
77% of drug users are employed and 11% of the workforce uses illegal
drugs.
Government and University research in NZ and America have found
that users of methamphetamine and other drugs are:
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30% less productive
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Absent 2 or 3 times more often than other employees
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3.6 times more likely to injure themselves or others in the
workplace
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5 times more likely to be injured off the job, thereby affecting
their attendance and performance at work
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Likely to incur up to 3 times higher medical costs than non
drug using employees
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A Massey University research study of frequent
methamphetamine users (monthly or more often) carried out in NZ
over a six month period and released in 2004 found that;
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62% were in paid employment
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43% earned money from illegal activities
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Illegal income ranged between $1000 - $150,000, an average
of $24,000
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34% had either considered or attempted suicide
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65% binged for more than 48 hours on average fortnightly
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53% rated level of harm to work, or work opportunities as
very, or extremely harmful
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Many of the persons studied were employed in a
wide range of occupations including professionals, earned mid level
incomes, had high levels of education with high numbers being European.
While methamphetamine makes the user feel alert and energetic in
the early stages, they quickly experience a downward spiral. Their
need for ever increasing amounts of the drug sometimes giving rise
to extraordinary reactions.
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A cannabis habit of $100 per week costs an equivalent methamphetamine
user $1500 or more per week
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90% of first time methamphetamine users continue to use
the drug
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Child Abuse and Neglect
In America, many of the worst affected states report between 60-90%
of referrals or removals of children for child abuse relate to methamphetamine,
a trend seemingly being mirrored in New Zealand, with over a 60%
increase in reported child abuse over recent years.
These children are often unaware of, or unable to communicate the
danger they are in, and become silent victims, potentially being
exposed to:
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Aggressive, violent, psychotic behaviour
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Sexual abuse
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Weapons, drug paraphernalia, chemicals and equipment
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Drug dealing, manufacture and other criminal behaviour
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Poor nutrition and health
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Inadequate supervision and dysfunctional home life
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Around a third of homes where methamphetamine is being manufactured
have children living in them, with figures showing that 35-70% of
children in those environments test positive to methamphetamine
itself, while 90% test positive to toxic levels of chemicals.
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