Police have issued a warning after a second death linked to a deadly batch of synthetic cannabinoids circulating in Taranaki.
It comes after a person died and another was hospitalised earlier in the month from synthetic cannabis.
Police are making enquiries into both deaths on behalf of the Coroner.
On Wednesday, police warned synthetic cannabis can have harmful and unpredictable effects. These include a fast or irregular heartbeat, sedation, drowsiness, slowed reaction times, difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting, seizures, tremors and temporary paralysis.
Ministry of Health group manager of addiction Richard Taylor said the ministry and police are taking a health-based approach to drug harm.
"In Waitara, community-focused alcohol and other drug treatment service has been running since July 2020, providing treatment, actively engaging with whānau, and working with key community agencies to provide support for people affected by harmful drug use."
Area commander inspector Belinda Dewar said police are focused on working with the community to reduce drug harm.
"That includes holding to account those who are manufacturing and supplying the community with illicit drugs."
On July 6 the High Alert early warning site put out a notification about the "particularly dangerous batch" of synthetic cannabis. It also warned it's possible the batch is in other regions of New Zealand.
"It's likely the synnie responsible for this harm is 4F-MDMB-BICA. It's possible other synthetic cannabinoids substances are also involved. 4F-MDMB-BICA has been implicated in a number of deaths overseas and other harm events in New Zealand," High Alert said on its website.
"High Alert recommends extreme caution consuming synthetic cannabinoids, especially in the Taranaki Region at this time."
Anyone with information in relation to the manufacture and supply of synthetic cannabinoids is asked to contact Taranaki Police on 105 or anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111. Any unexpected or concerning effects from drugs can be reported through High Alert.
High Alert, which is run by Drug Information and Alerts Aotearoa New Zealand (DIANZ), urges people to call 111 immediately for an ambulance if someone is unconscious, stops breathing or has chest pain or breathing difficulties for longer than five minutes, has a seizure, or is extremely agitated for longer than 15 minutes.
How to identify the drug:
- Usually described as a white, off-white or yellow-brown powder
- Usually sprayed onto dehydrated plant material and smoked
- Often a chemical smell and sprayed plant material may be sticky - it is noticeably different from cannabis
- It can be vaped or consumed orally
- Appearance and effects can vary among synthetic cannabinoids.