CRYSTAL MESS

Charity Apologizes for Giving Out Methamphetamine Candy

Each piece contained a potentially fatal amount of the drug, up to 300 times that of a common dose.

A charity in New Zealand apologized Wednesday for distributing candies made with a potentially life-threatening dose of methamphetamine. Auckland City Mission, which distributes food parcels, said the pineapple-flavored candies were donated to them by a member of the public. Authorities said three people—a charity worker, a teenager, and a child—had sought medical attention after tasting the candies, but none of them remain hospitalized. Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin of Auckland Police told reporters there’s no suggestion of wrongdoing by the charity. “To say we are devastated is an understatement,” the Mission said in a statement, according to Reuters. The New Zealand Drug Foundation charity tested the candies and found they contained 0.1 oz of methamphetamine—up to 300 times the amount someone would typically take. Police think the candies were a byproduct of international drug trafficking and authorities are now investigating how they entered the country.