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National Drugs in Wastewater Testing Programme - Quarter 1, 2023

National Drugs in Wastewater Testing Programme - Quarter 1, 2023

Date Published: 
September 2023

Results are now available for the first quarter (2023) 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.

The format of this report differs from previous reports. The third page has been removed. This is because the proportion of drugs used at each location rarely changes and therefore the third page was of little value. These reports will no longer contain the third page going forward.

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.

The estimated dollar value generated from illicit drug distribution takes into consideration the estimated drug use across all sites and the typical street price (per gram) of each commodity.

Key findings: January – March (Q1 2023)

Methamphetamine

  • An average of 12.2 kilograms of methamphetamine was consumed across sample sites per week in Q1 2023. This was below the average quantity consumed over the previous four quarters.
  • Of the sites tested, Waikato District was the only district to record methamphetamine consumption above its average consumption rate over the previous four quarters.
  • The 12.2 kilograms of methamphetamine consumed per week in Q1 2023 equates to an estimated weekly social harm cost of $13.5 million.
  • Approximately $4.3 million per week was generated from methamphetamine distribution across New Zealand sample sites in Q1 2023.

Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)

  • An average of 6.3 kilograms of MDMA was consumed across sample sites per week in Q1 2023. This was consistent with the average quantity consumed per week over the previous four quarters.
  • Of the sites tested, Bay of Plenty, Waikato, Eastern, and Wellington Districts recorded MDMA consumption above their respective average consumption rates over the previous four quarters.
  • The 6.3 kilograms of MDMA consumed per week in Q1 2023 equates to an estimated weekly social harm cost of $0.87 million.
  • Approximately $1.9 million per week was generated from MDMA distribution across New Zealand sample sites in Q1 2023.

Cocaine

  • An average of 1.2 kilograms of cocaine was consumed across sample sites per week in Q1 2023. This remained above the average quantity consumed over the previous four quarters.
  • All districts recorded above average cocaine consumption when compared with their respective average consumption rates over the previous four quarters.
  • The 1.2 kilograms of cocaine consumed per week in Q1 2023 equates to an estimated weekly social harm cost of $0.36 million.
  • Approximately $0.48 million per week was generated from cocaine distribution across New Zealand sample sites in Q1 2023.