'Lollies' containing methamphetamine were unknowingly distributed in food parcels from the Auckland City Mission after being donated by an unknown member of the public.
Here's what we know so far, by the numbers.
How much did each 'lolly' weigh?
Drug Foundation initial testing found a 'lolly' contained 3g of meth, a potentially lethal dose.
What is a normal dose of methamphetamine when consumed by mouth?
The foundation says about 10-25mg.
How many doses would one of these 'lollies' be?
About 300 times a normal dose, which the Drug Foundation says is potentially lethal.
How many people may have received these lollies?
300-400 people are being contacted by the Auckland City Mission.
How many people have said they found the lollies in their food parcel?
So far, eight families.
Photo: Supplied / Auckland City mission
Did any children eat a lolly?
One child did, but spat it out immediately because of the bitter taste.
Did any City Mission staff eat a lolly?
Two staff tasted one of the lollies. They were offered medical help.
Has anyone been hospitalised?
So far, no one has been taken to hospital but the Drug Foundation says people who tasted one, even if they spat it out immediately, would have been affected by it.
How much is one of these lollies worth?
The Drug Foundation believes they would have a street value of about $1000.
How long did it take for the mission to get the word out?
It was two hours between staff being alerted by someone who received a parcel and the public being alerted.
A sample was brought to the Drug Foundation about 3pm Tuesday, multiple tests were done by 3.25pm and High Alert was contacted. Within an hour of the initial tests, Auckland Hospital, St John and the national poison centre were contacted.
How many of these lollies are out there?
There is an unknown number out there. Donated lollies are taken out of sealed packets and spread out in a mix across the food parcels, meaning that even a single packet of 20 may have contaminated numerous parcels.
Timeline of events
The donation of lollies arrived in the City Mission's distribution centre at Boston Road as a contained branded package some time in the past six weeks.
City Missioner Helen Robinson said the lollies were likely donated in mid-July but they were calling all people who had received a food parcel since early July.
There were between 20-30 lollies in one pack but the City Mission does not know how many packs there were.
One packet was opened and a handful of the lollies was put into an unknown number of food parcels, at the Boston Road distribution centre.
It was unlikely these lollies would be in parcels given out at the three partner marae.
Early Tuesday afternoon, someone who received a parcel let the City Mission know that the lolly they tried tasted funny.
After being alerted, a number of staff tried a lolly and found the taste, smell and strange affect it had on them was a concern. Two City Mission staff spat lollies out. They were offered medical attention.
The City Mission said no staff or people who were spoken to on Tuesday night have been hospitalised.
Staff took the remaining lollies to the Drug Foundation for testing.
A sample was taken to the NZ Drug Foundation at 3pm on Tuesday, multiple tests were done and by 3.25pm, High Alert was contacted.
The lolly was a pill of meth. Each three gram lolly was the equivalent of about 300 doses of methamphetamine and potentially fatal, with an estimated street value of $1000.
Within an hour of the initial tests, Auckland Hospital, St Johns and the national poison centre were contacted.
The City Mission began contacting hundreds of people who may have received these lollies in a food package since early July - between 300 and 400.
