Police have confirmed two young people, a child and a teen, have been taken to hospital after consuming the methamphetamine-laced lollies inadvertently distributed by the Auckland City Mission (ACM).
Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin confirmed both of the rangatahi were reported to be okay, having returned negative tests.
A charity worker went to Auckland City Hospital after having symptoms that related to taking meth via a lolly but she has since been discharged.
Baldwin said police understood the drugs were imported into the country.
He said they have retrieved 16 laced lollies so far but was unsure how many there were out there.
Not all had been tested but he was confident they were all contaminated with meth.
Since yesterday there have been a number of people who have said they were given the lollies.
Police urged more people to come forward if they had the Rinda pineapple lollies by contacting them via 111 and quote file number 240813/5919.
Earlier today New Zealand Drug Foundation deputy executive director Ben Birks Ang told the media one Rinda laced lolly had 300 doses alone.
He said it contained three grams of meth with a street value of about $1000. A common dose by users was between 10 to 25 milligrams making one lolly potentially lethal.
If any member of the public who had had the lolly was experiencing chest pain, a racing heart, seizures, hypothermia, delirium and loss of consciousness, Birks Ang asked them to call 111 immediately.
Auckland City Missioner Helen Robinson said one in five Kiwis did not have enough money to access food, so for this to happen in food parcels that families were reliant on was devastating.
“To say we are devastated is an absolute understatement. We are totally and utterly reliant on the generosity of the public to help support people in need.”
An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that three additional people sought medical attention. In fact, it was only the two rangatahi and one worker. We have made amendments.