Those leading a new methamphetamine harm reduction programme in Murupara say Covid restrictions unwittingly highlighted the serious nature of the community's drug problem.
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Te Ahi Mauri is modelled on Northland's Te Ara Oranga programme, credited with reaching thousands and drastically reducing drug-related harm.
At the height of the pandemic, Murupara moved to protect its vulnerable with checkpoints on its main roads, but it uncovered something more sinister.
"We had checkpoints during the first lockdown and through that we saw a lot of … trafficking, night runs," Leila Rewi told Checkpoint.
"We had two checkpoints on either side of town and there were incidents at both checkpoints with people wanting to get through, and you're not going to question them. Safety first," Ormond Hynes said.
Rewi and Hynes are two pillars in the proud Eastern Bay of Plenty community.
"There's a big need here in Murupara," Rewi said. "We're 99 percent Māori here, we've needed it here for a while. The drug scene is pretty big."
Help has recently arrived with Te Ahi Mauri. Leila Rewi is the clinical lead.
The meth rehabilitation programme has already worked in Northland. There it reached at least 3000 people, leading to a 34 percent reduction in harm from offending among people that it helped.
"We want to base our programmes around Kaupapa Māori. So that's going to the marae, going for hikoi, our maunga up there, going to our awa. Doing stuff like that. It could be carving pounamu, tā moko," Rewi said.
"It's about reconnecting our people, because they've lost connection."
Funding was announced only a few weeks ago, but planning is well underway. They're determined to save whānau from addiction.
"Getting that connection back, it makes them feel they're a part of something. They're a part of society. They're part of our iwi. Our main focus is to make them feel that they have a purpose.
Ormond Hines manages Te Ika Whenua Counselling Services Trust. He told Checkpoint the local drug problem started with marijuana.
"This is one of the central hubs, from the coast, from up the hills, all over the place. They'd come here and do a swap meet with their drugs. That carried on to meth. The same mentalities carried on with meth."
Mem Jenner calls Murupara home too. She works for Te Ika Whenua Hauora.
"The forestry – once it shut down, everything else shut down," she said.
"Therein lay the foundation of all the disharmony that's happened in whānau."
Jenner remembers Murupara used to be a town with a Lions Club, plenty of jobs, and full schools.
"We have communities that have drug, alcohol abuse, family violence, crime, theft.
Murupara health leader Mem Jenner. Photo: RNZ / Nick Monro
"There's a minimal number of police at the time that we need them. So people are blaming the police for the issues. People are not blaming their own families, and saying, 'hey, cut the behaviour out'.
"A lot of grandmothers … we're bringing up the moko. And we're watching our kids or our nieces and nephews destroy their own lives and destroy those babies' lives.
"They'll lie to your face. They'll go and pinch anything. While they're talking to you like this their eyes are busy watching to see what they can take when they leave."
Jenner says Murupara is home, and that is what she is fighting for.
"I don't give a heck what other people think about Murupara. As long as our kids are safe, as long as we love the place, we know there are a lot of people who have left home, but they still look to Murupara as being home.
"What would you do for your home? What would you do for your babies? You bust your ass and you fight for them.
"There's life after death. There's life after meth. There's life after alcohol. There's life.
"Life is worth living more than anything else. And you have to make the difference.
"Once you make the decision, you're not alone. There are a lot of people to help.
"If whānau can get over the whakamā, the hurt, there's heaps of us here to help."
As Leila Rewi takes the reins at Te Ahi Mauri, she has a message: "If you're ready to put the pipe down, you know where we are.
"Especially for our Murupara whānau and our surrounding communities. If you're ready, you know where we are."