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National Drugs in Wastewater Testing Programme - Quarter 1, 2024

National Drugs in Wastewater Testing Programme - Quarter 1, 2024

Date Published: 
June 2024

Results are now available for the first quarter (2024) of drugs in wastewater testing, which covers around 75% of New Zealand’s population.

The drugs tested for include methamphetamine, MDMA, cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin. These reports focus on methamphetamine, MDMA and cocaine as these drugs are routinely detected by the programme.

Social harm cost estimates have been included in this report. These are derived from the New Zealand Illicit Drug Harm Index 2020 (McFadden M, Bellamore L & MacDonald B. (2021). The New Zealand Illicit Drug Harm Index 2020: Research report. Wellington: Ministry of Health). The Drug Harm Index 2020 provides a conservative measure of the harms associated with the use of illicit drugs in New Zealand and considers both personal and community harms.

Key findings: January – March (Q1 2024)

Methamphetamine

  • Methamphetamine use across sample sites increased in Q1 2024, averaging an estimated 17.5 kilograms per week. This was above the average quantity consumed over the previous four quarters (31% or 4.1 kilograms).
  • All districts, except for Waikato, recorded above average methamphetamine use.
  • Methamphetamine use across sample sites in Q1 2024 equates to an estimated weekly social harm cost of $19.4 million.

Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)

  • MDMA use across sample sites decreased in Q1 2024, averaging an estimated 6.2 kilograms per week. This was consistent with the average quantity consumed over the previous four quarters.
  • Eastern District was the only district to record above average MDMA use.
  • MDMA use across sample sites in Q1 2024 equates to an estimated weekly social harm cost of $857,237.

Cocaine

  • Cocaine use across sample sites continued to increase in Q1 2024 to an average of 3.3 kilograms per week. This remained above the average quantity consumed over the previous four quarters (52 percent or 1.1 kilograms above).
  • All districts recorded above average cocaine use.
  • Cocaine use across sample sites in Q1 2024 equates to an estimated weekly social harm cost of $990,651.