13 Mar 2025

Synthetic opioid being sold as cocaine results in hospital trips

From Nights, 10:18 pm on 13 March 2025

Several people in Wairarapa have been hospitalised after taking a white powder they believed to be cocaine.

The substance is currently unknown but likely to be a synthetic opioid.

Meanwhile, across the country, it appears voluntary drug testing is on the rise.

To explain, Drug Foundation NZ's communications director Hayden Eastmond-Mein joins Mark Leishman.

Transparent plastic bags with white powder isolated on black background

Photo: 123RF File photo