Cocaine and methamphetamine use explodes in New Zealand

New water testing results across New Zealand show a significant increase in methamphetamine and cocaine use in the past quarter, compared to the previous year.

National Wastewater Drug Testing Program results released by police show methamphetamine use in the third quarter of 2024 doubled to 32.4 kilograms per week, compared to the average weekly amount of 16.8 kg of the previous year.

Cocaine use in the third quarter also almost doubled to 5.5kg per week, compared to the previous year’s average weekly amount of 3kg.

Weekly social damages from methamphetamine use this quarter are estimated at $34 million, and for cocaine, $2.1 million.

Drug Foundation executive director Sarah Helm said this was the highest volume seen since the launch of the national wastewater testing program in 2018.

They didn’t know that the number of people using meth was increasing, and the numbers might indicate that people were using larger amounts.

“This sharp increase probably represents a much greater consumption of people. This means that as a result, we think we will see more acute harms, hospitalizations due to problems such as toxicity, heart problems and psychosis .

“Meth and cocaine are two of our most addictive substances, so we also fear an increase in addiction.”

Helm said there was an urgent need to scale up the provision of harm reduction, prevention and acute care services to meet likely increased needs.

She said there was a lack of investment in this area.

“We have fought for many years, even decades, for proportionate investment in risk reduction, demand reduction and prevention in New Zealand and we are paying the price today.

“So we continue to appeal for these interventions.

“At this point, we’re a little desperate to get them in place, because it feels like a tidal wave is coming at us, and very little is being done to prevent the impact of this on the community ” she said.

Helm said the Te Ara Oranga program in Northland to reduce methamphetamine harm had been effective and should be rolled out nationally.

She said New Zealand’s drug laws were also long overdue.

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