New water testing results from across New Zealand shows a significant increase in methamphetamine and cocaine use over the last quarter, compared to the previous year.
National Drugs in Wastewater Testing Programme results released by the police, showed methamphetamine consumption in the third quarter of 2024 doubled to 32.4 kilograms per week, compared to the average weekly quantity over the previous year of 16.8kg.
The consumption of cocaine in the third quarter also nearly doubled to 5.5kg per week, compared to the average weekly quantity over the previous year of 3kg.
The weekly social harm of methamphetamine use in this quarter was estimated to be $34 million and, for cocaine, $2.1m.
Drug Foundation executive director Sarah Helm said it was the highest volume seen since the national wastewater testing programme started in 2018.
The foundation was not aware of an increasing number of people using methamphetamine, and the figures could indicate people were using larger quantities.
“This big uptick likely represents people consuming much more. That means as a consequence we think we’ll be seeing more acute harms, hospitalisations from things like toxicity, heart problems and psychosis.
“Both methamphetamine and cocaine are two of our more addictive substances, so we’re also concerned that we’ll be seeing an increase in addiction.”
Helm said there was an urgent need to ramp up harm reduction, prevention and acute care service provision to meet the likely increased need.
She said there had been a lack of investment in this area.
“We have struggled over many years and even decades to get proportionate investment into harm reduction and demand reduction and prevention in New Zealand and we’re paying the price for that now.
“So we continue to make the call for these interventions.
“At this point we’re slightly desperate to get them in place, because it feels like there is a tidal wave coming our way, and very little being stood up to prevent the ramifications of that for the community,” she said.
Helm said the Te Ara Oranga programme in Northland for reducing harm from methamphetamine had been effective, and should be rolled out nationally.
She said the drug laws in New Zealand were also long overdue for a review.
rnz.co.nz