Wellington, in central NSW, nicknamed ‘South Pole’ for alarming ice habit

9997830314_209a7ee5f0_mAccording to medical experts, addiction to the synthetic methamphetamine nicknamed “ice” can cause severe mood swings, violent hallucinations, paranoia, psychosis, and unpredictable bouts of aggression as well as kidney disease, liver failure, brain damage, stroke and death. Despite these dangers, cities and towns around the world are reporting that the addiction rates to this drug have reached epidemic portions. In New Zealand, the town of Wellington has been so decimated by ice that residents and visitors have nicknamed the tiny town “The South Pole”.

Wellington is not the first city to be bestowed a nickname inspired by residents’ drug consumption. US American rap artist, Big Moe, named the city of Houston, Texas the “City of Syrup” to draw attention to the rising rate of residents addicted to codeine-infused cough syrup. The progressive marijuana policies of Canada’s Pacific Northwest metropolis of Vancouver has inspired some insiders to nickname the green city Vansterdam, a blend of the place names Vancouver and Amsterdam, another city known for its liberal marijuana laws.

For more information about this phenomenon, see this article and this article.