New Zealand ‘P’ Pull is a national movement of people working to empower individuals, families and communities to lead the way to a meth-free future. It is made up of people with real experience of the impact of the drug P, who are committed to an accessible, safe and strength-based approach.
‘P’ Pull began at Wesley Waitangirua in 2016 and has grown into:
- A network of local “walk-in” meetings at 14 locations (and expanding) around the country
- A closed Facebook page to help P users and their whānau understand addiction and provide practical support and advice to reduce the negative effects of P
- A range of resources to support education and prevention awareness that draw on people’s real experience and provide inspiration, reliable information and sound advice on ‘P’
- Training seminars and workshops in local communities.
‘P’ Pull works in a simple and flexible way which means that local communities can pick it up and run it in a way that meets local needs. ‘P’ Pull aims to help communities across Aotearoa get a better understanding of the “pull” of P. This will ultimately help reduce the number of people who start using the drug.
Wesley Community Action is proud to host the backbone support for the ‘P’ Pull movement. This involves maintaining financial, employment and administrative functions.
The national coordinator, Rowena Wiki (pictured) and the project support role, Christine Remuera are part of our Te Hiko team.
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Read a report about NZ P-Pull
We recently published a report looking at NZ P-Pull, Telling More of the Story: May 2020 to May 2021.
Download a copy of the report.
The six key principles of ‘P’ Pull
The ‘P’ Pull movement is guided by the following six key principles:
- ‘P’ Pull supports anybody affected by/or suffering from methamphetamine (be it a person that uses, whānau or significant other)
- ‘P’ Pull is an independent community movement that requires no fee or referral to receive support.
- ‘P’ Pull is a non-judgemental safe group where anonymity and compassion is a priority.
- ‘P’ Pull provides support through ‘walk in’ meetings and an interactive closed Face Book page on the internet.
- ‘P’ Pull does not condone or tolerate flippant comments regarding drug use. Our focus is to protect vulnerable members and their families who are genuinely seeking help.
- ‘P’ Pull promotes Te Whare Tapa Wha, the holistic model of wellness which includes spiritual, physical, mental and whānau wellbeing.
‘P’ Pull walk-ins – a place of healing
“Walk-ins” provide a free, safe and welcoming place of healing where people can share their experiences and seek information and advice. Each walk-in has a trained facilitator who has lived experience of P, either as a user or through a whānau member.
There are currently 14 walk-ins operating in:
- Dannevirke
- Gisborne (2)
- Levin
- Lower Hutt (Pomare)
- Murupara
- Otaki
- Palmerston North
- Petone
- Porirua
- Ruatoria
- Taita
- Taupo
- Upper Hutt
Closed Facebook page for support 24/7
Drug users and their whānau from throughout Aotearoa can also get support and share their experiences by joining the NZ ‘P’ Pull Facebook page. This is a private page with moderated membership which allows people to be honest and open about their experiences. All posts are monitored regularly by volunteer moderators.
The Facebook page now has almost 8000 members.
How ‘P’ Pull began
‘P’ Pull began as following an experience at Wesley Waitangirua one Friday afternoon in June 2016. A 24-year-old mother walked into the centre. She was experiencing a meth-induced psychotic episode and needed help.
The Centre manager, Lizzie McMillan, tried all the local services – the hospital, the 0800 health line, the AOD healthline and the Porirua Meth Reduction Group – but she had no luck finding anyone who could help the young woman. Instead, she took her home and helped her detox over the weekend.
Lizzie had no more luck finding professional support for the woman the following week and she and her team were left feeling frustrated and hopeless by the challenges and barriers facing those struggling with P addiction.
This led her to create “walk-in Mondays” at Wesley Waitangirua. These provided an opportunity for those affected by P to talk to someone face-to-face and get information about managing withdrawal and detoxing at home.
The concept eventually grew, with the addition of a Facebook page and educational resources. A core group of people provided national leadership and it quickly spread to other locations, and so the ‘P’ Pull movement was born.
Support for ‘P’ Pull
New Zealand ‘P’ Pull would like to thank the following organisations for their support:
- NZ Drug Foundation
- Bravehearts
- The Ministry of Justice’s Proceeds of Crime fund
- Meth Education and Solution Services (MESS)