Meth NZ's top drug - it's in the water

Tuesday, 30 April 2019

Kiwis are paying through the nose for party drugs in New Zealand. (video first published in May 2018)

The stunning dominance of methamphetamine in illicit drug use in New Zealand and the higher use of the party drug ecstasy in the South Island has been revealed by the first-ever batch of nationwide wastewater tests.

Police on Tuesday released the results of three months testing (November to January) for meth, cocaine, heroin, MDMA/ecstasy and fentanyl at 37 wastewater plants taking in 80 per cent of New Zealand's population.

The results showed an overwhelming dominance of methamphetamine with nationwide use equating to $1 billion a year and an estimated $20 million per week in social harm.

Methamphetamine is the most commonly detected illicit drug nationwide. (file photo)

Assistant commissioner Richard Chambers said 16 kilograms a week of meth across 80 per cent of the population 'was a lot' and disappointing. He described the data as the 'best information we have ever had'.

**READ MORE:

Northland tops the chart for meth use, while the Southern police district comes in last.

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* Tenancy Tribunal orders tenant to pay landlord $3800 for meth contamination

Ecstasy is most prevalent in Canterbury.

* Life after meth: Man live streams recovery to help others struggling with drugs**

Police were still working on the best way to test for cannabis and synthetics, he said.

Cocaine is popular in the Auckland region, while it's least used in the Tasman region.

The tests revealed regional variations with meth use most prevalent per capita in Northland, MDMA more popular in Canterbury than anywhere else and cocaine more favoured in the wider Auckland region.

Christchurch sample sites showed the average proportion of drug use was meth, 56 per cent, MDMA, 43 per cent and cocaine, 1 per cent. For Invercargill, it was 82 per cent meth and 18 per cent MDMA; Dunedin (Green Island), 50 per cent meth, 48 per cent MDMA and 2 per cent cocaine; Greymouth, 72 per cent meth and 28 per cent MDMA and Nelson-City, 72 per cent meth, 27 per cent MDMA and 1 per cent cocaine.

Wastewater drug testing in New Zealand: Quarter 1 findings. released on April 30, 2019. SUPPLIED.

North Island cities and towns showed a markedly higher proportion of meth in the wastewater. For example Whangarei recorded 95 per cent meth and 5 per cent MDMA, Auckland West, 91 per cent meth and 8 per cent MDMA, Waikato, 78 per cent meth and 19 per cent MDMA and Porirua, 92 per cent meth and 7 per cent MDMA.

New Zealand Drug Foundation executive director Ross Bell said the data contained no surprises but was going to be useful.

The Mangere Waste Water Treatment Plant in Auckland is revealing the city's drug habits.

'Creating some sort of baseline data is going to be really important to show any changes over time for specific drugs and specific regions. But for us information is completely pointless if you are not going to act on it. If it shows meth use increases we would hope the local DHB would put more treatment resources in place.'

The data was not without its limitations because it would not 'tell us if a lot of people are using a little bit or a few people are using a lot or how are they are using it. Are they injecting it or are they smoking it?'

The regional data that showed some towns showed higher readings of ecstasy told an interesting story, he said.

Taupo and Queenstown recorded significantly higher proportions of MDMA and cocaine than surrounding towns - Queenstown, 70 per cent MDMA, 25 per cent meth and 5 per cent cocaine; Taupo, 51 per cent meth, 44 per cent MDMA and cocaine 5 per cent.

'There are party towns where you are going to get more younger people for the ski or tourist season. Maybe the health authorities need to be thinking what kind of health messages those young people who are going to party with ecstasy need,' Bell said.

Police Commissioner Mike Bush said the results were only a snapshot of the bigger picture that long-term testing would achieve.

'These early results give us an idea of the potential for this type of data and, as testing continues, it will enhance our understanding of the demand and supply of illicit drugs and the associated harm caused in our communities.

'The long term results will help police and other agencies make informed decisions around drug treatment services, and initiatives to combat organised crime groups dealing in methamphetamine and other drugs.'

Police Minister Stuart Nash said the programme was initially a pilot in three sites but $1m had been set aside in last year's budget for the testing at 37 sites nationwide.

'The wastewater testing cannot pick up traces of synthetic drugs, nor is yet covering cannabis use. The programme tests public sewage schemes for traces of restricted drugs, to provide insight into patterns of use.

'The results are the first real insight we have on drug consumption in both major urban centres and regional communities. I am pleased to see the use of fentanyl remains low. Only 3 grams were consumed on average each week, which includes medically prescribed use.'

The key findings show:

* The average weekly use of the detected drugs equate to an estimated street value of $9.6m.

* Police estimate approximately $500m of criminal profit annually is generated.

* MDMA had an estimated consumption rate of 4kg on average each week.

* Cocaine was detected in low quantities nationwide, about 700g on average each week.

* Fentanyl hardly figured, with overall consumption averaging less than 3g per week.

* Heroin was not detected at any of the testing sites between November 2018 and January 2019.