An old hoax involving meth, strawberry lollies and children is making the rounds in the Alexandra community.
Parents have been left spooked after a message talking about "strawberry quick" infiltrating schools around the area.
The email said "there is a very scary thing going on in the schools right now that we all need to be aware of".
"There is a type of crystal meth going around that looks like strawberry pop rocks — the candy that sizzles and ‘pops’ in your mouth.
"It also smells like strawberry and it is being handed out to kids in schoolyards."
The email alleged children were being rushed to hospital in "dire condition".
A police spokeswoman confirmed there had been no incidents of children being hospitalised due to "strawberry quick".
"I’ve confirmed with High Alert that this is not something that they’re aware of — either in terms of this ‘product’ being an issue in New Zealand, or any incidents of harm or hospitalisation."
She said it was a good opportunity to remind parents to sign up to High Alert, New Zealand’s drug warning site, which provides credible warnings about dangerous drugs.
The hoax, originally from the US, first appeared in New Zealand in 2009. It reappeared in 2014 and, at the time, police urged members of the public to delete the message and contact police if there were any concerns about children’s safety.
