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As politicians debate how to fight the battle against methamphetamine ONE News has discovered just how easy it is to buy ingredients for the lethal drug.
An undercover operation has shown that any crackdown can't come soon enough.
ONE News found out retailers are selling the raw ingredients needed to produce methamphetamine and of more concern, knowingly supplying drug cooks.
A gram of P sells for up to $1,000 so do-it-yourself is often the only option for some addicts.
"A habit of two or three grams a day is unsustainable unless you are dealing or accessing chemicals and manufacturing," says former cop Mike Sabin, who with his organisation Methcon is trying to fight the growing problem.
Recipes are easy to find and there are only about a dozen ingredients needed.
In the Northland town of Moerewa ONE News found two dairies, side by side, both selling a key ingredient: Isopropyl alcohol, which is legitimately used as a paint thinner.
ONE News sent in an undercover shopper with a hidden camera to see how vigilant the stores are in selling it.
In store number one the isopropyl was shelved below the potato chip display. The server asked to see the shopper's identification but didn't record any of his details.
At shop number two we bought more isopropyl and a collection of other items needed for P production with no uncomfortable questions asked.
ONE News made a return trip to the second store and our shopper purchased another four litres of isopropyl. The same person served him and our shopper asked if he could get bigger containers of the product.
The shopkeeper told him if he sold bigger containers of isopropyl in the store the police would be asking him questions.
The man behind the counter explains he usually tells customers to buy in bulk for a better deal and that he knows what people use it for.
This comes as politicians admit they cannot contain the P problem.
Justice Minister Annette King has already suggested a crackdown on the supply of chemicals used to make the drug.
And National leader John Key is pushing his plans to fight P production.
He says he will change the law to give police and the courts more power to crack down on gangs, who he blames for making and selling P.
Mike Sabin says in recent years police have taken their eye off the ball.
He says they have been trying to satisfy government concerns of increasing volume crime and road trauma.
Sabin says organised crime has had the chance to fly under the radar for too long and communities are paying the price for it. He says while there is no one silver bullet, with the right commitment from political leaders, it is a war that can be won.
