Meth-laced candies spark a crisis for New Zealand charity

"Auckland City Mission" is a New Zealand charitable organization fighting poverty. It gained significant attention when it was discovered that a batch of candies distributed in food packages was contaminated with a highly addictive and illegal drug.

"An investigation is ongoing, and the police are treating the matter as a priority given the risk to the community," reported local authorities.

The New Zealand Drug Foundation reported that a sample test of an innocuous-looking white candy in a bright yellow wrapper indicated the presence of methamphetamine.

A spokeswoman for the foundation, Sarah Helm, said that ​​the tested candies contained about 0.1 ounces of methamphetamine. This is hundreds of times more than the dose taken by those who deliberately use the drug.

"A common dose to swallow is between 10-25mg, so this contaminated lolly contained up to 300 doses," noted Helm. She explained that intake of this amount of substance is "extremely dangerous and could result in death."

The spokeswoman appealed to individuals who received food packages from the Auckland organization not to consume the candies included in them. "We did not know that the lollies contained methamphetamine when they were distributed," she admitted.

As the organization stated in a statement, one of the benefactors anonymously donated the candies. They were in sealed and branded packages, which did not raise any suspicion among the volunteers preparing the packages.

"It's vital the public are aware of these lollies and the hazard that they present," said Helen Robinson from "Auckland City Mission" to reporters.

The charitable organization believes that ​​up to 400 people might have received contaminated candies in the food packages.

Robinson said eight families had already tasted the candies in the packages. However, no one has required hospitalization so far.

In one case, parents gave a candy to their child, who immediately spat it out. The contaminated candies are reported to have a bitter and unpleasant taste. At such a high concentration of the drug, even touching or licking the candy can be dangerous.

The horrific mistake was discovered after one of the recipients felt ill after merely trying the candy. The bitter taste, unusual for sweets, also caught their attention.

Methamphetamine can cause chest pain, rapid heart rate, seizures, delirium, and loss of consciousness, warns the drug foundation.

Helm told Radio New Zealand that drug traffickers often hide illegal drugs as food items. She added that they suspect the drugs were not donated intentionally. Ultimately, the police will decide.