WELLINGTON, Sept. 14 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand police and the chief coroner on Thursday reinforced their previous warning to communities about the dangerous consequences of using synthetic drugs.
It comes following the recent deaths of two men aged 22 and 37, and a 26-year-old woman, all from West Auckland who died in separate incidents and where the coroner is investigating whether synthetic drugs were a possible cause of death, according to a police statement.
"This is not just a problem in Auckland, this is affecting families and whanau (communities) across New Zealand," the statement said.
Detective Inspector Scott Beard is calling on the community to tell police who is selling and manufacturing these drugs.
"You may have noticed that we are not calling it synthetic cannabis... It is a dangerous drug that we know is a synthetic compound usually manufactured overseas," Beard said in the statement, adding that those taking it are taking a huge risk because "you do not know where it has come from, or the level of dosage."
Chief Coroner Judge Deborah Marshall said that there had been a number of deaths potentially related to the use of synthetic drugs since a public warning was issued in July.
"Using any illicit drug carries risks, and in the case of synthetic drugs, they are known to cause potentially fatal seizures," Marshall said.
Detective Inspector Beard said that police have made a significant number of seizures and arrests across New Zealand and are focused on arresting those responsible for the sale and supply of the dangerous drugs.
