RECENT TRENDS IN ILLEGAL DRUG USE IN NEW ZEALAND, 2005-2007 Findings from the 2005, 2006 and 2007 Illicit Drug Monitoring System (IDMS) C.Wilkins M. Girling P. Sweetsur Centre for Social and Health Outcomes Research and Evaluation Massey University, P O Box 6137, Wellesley St February 2008 © Centre for Social and Health Outcomes Research and Evaluation ISBN 1 877428 07 8 Table of Contents Acknowledgements............................................................................................................................. 8 Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................ 9 Summary ........................................................................................................................................... 11 Introduction....................................................................................................................................11 Method ...........................................................................................................................................11 Demographic characteristics of the frequent drug users................................................................12 Drug use patterns of the frequent methamphetamine users ...........................................................13 Drug use patterns of the frequent ecstasy users .............................................................................14 Drug use patterns of the frequent injecting drug users ..................................................................14 New drug types ..............................................................................................................................15 New types of drug users.................................................................................................................15 Increase in drug use by some users................................................................................................15 Different means of administering drugs.........................................................................................16 Current availability of different drug types....................................................................................16 Current purity of different drug types............................................................................................19 Change in the availability of different drug types..........................................................................20 Perceptions of the change in the number of people using different drugs.....................................23 Current prices for drugs .................................................................................................................26 Change in prices for drugs in past six months ...............................................................................27 Drug related harm ..........................................................................................................................30 Accessing health services...............................................................................................................31 1. Introduction.................................................................................................................................. 33 1.1 Aims of IDMS.........................................................................................................................33 1.2 Methodology ...........................................................................................................................34 1.3 Survey of frequent drug users .................................................................................................34 1.4 Survey of key experts (KE).....................................................................................................36 1.5 Secondary data sources ...........................................................................................................36 1.6 Analysis...................................................................................................................................36 2. Demographics of sample.............................................................................................................. 38 2.1 Introduction.............................................................................................................................38 2.2 Gender.....................................................................................................................................38 2.3 Age..........................................................................................................................................39 2.4 Ethnicity..................................................................................................................................39 2.5 Employment status..................................................................................................................41 2.6 Accommodation......................................................................................................................43 2.7 Education ................................................................................................................................43 2.8 Sexual orientation ...................................................................................................................44 2.9 Marital status...........................................................................................................................45 2.10 Income...................................................................................................................................45 2.11 Location ................................................................................................................................47 2.12 Drug treatment ......................................................................................................................48 2.13 Previously interviewed for the IDMS ...................................................................................48 2.14 Summary of the demographics of the frequent drug users ...................................................49 3. Drug use patterns ......................................................................................................................... 51 Centre for Social and Health Outcomes Research and Evaluation 3 Te Runanga, Wananga, Hauora me te Paekaka 3.1 Introduction.............................................................................................................................51 3.2 Extent of poly drug use ............................................................................................................51 3.3 Drug use patterns of the frequent methamphetamine users .....................................................51 3.4 Drug use patterns of the frequent ecstasy (MDMA) users.......................................................53 3.5 Drug use patterns of the frequent injecting drug users ............................................................55 3.6 Drug of choice..........................................................................................................................57 3.7 Concurrent use of drugs ..........................................................................................................60 3.8 Drug types used to recover from drug use ..............................................................................61 3.9 Binging on drugs.....................................................................................................................63 3.10 New drug types .....................................................................................................................64 3.11 New types of drug users........................................................................................................64 3.12 Increase in drug use by some users.......................................................................................64 3.13 Different means of administering drugs................................................................................65 3.14 Different ways of selling drugs.............................................................................................65 3.15 Summary of drug use patterns ...............................................................................................65 4. Methamphetamine........................................................................................................................ 67 4.1 Introduction.............................................................................................................................67 4.2 Knowledge of methamphetamine trends.................................................................................67 4.3 Availability of methamphetamine...........................................................................................67 4.4 Price of methamphetamine......................................................................................................71 4.5 Purity of methamphetamine....................................................................................................74 4.6 Perceptions of the number of people using methamphetamine ..............................................78 4.7 Seizures of methamphetamine .................................................................................................80 4.8 Clandestine methamphetamine