KEY POINTS:
Methamphetamine remains widely available in New Zealand with no overall change in its level of availability in the past six months, an ongoing study shows.
The study, led by Chris Wilkins from Massey University's centre for social and health outcomes research and evaluation, found methamphetamine, or P, continues to be a serious problem with most users describing it as "easy" or "very easy" to obtain.
The latest study interviewed 318 frequent drug users in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch including 114 frequent methamphetamine users, 111 frequent ecstasy users and 90 frequent injecting drug users.
Dr Wilkins said results showed some middle class P users were moving away from the drug as its reputation worsened and became increasingly associated with violence and addiction.
"The more middle class ecstasy users reported increasing use of LSD rather than methamphetamine," he said.
He said the number of methamphetamine labs police dismantled had climbed to around 200 a year over the past three years, compared to nine in 2000 and 41 in 2001.
The researchers noted the imported variety of P, known as ice, was reportedly less available than it was six months ago.
Researchers said this could be as a result of the 95 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine seized by police and customs in May last year, Dr Wilkins said.
The study found more people reporting ecstasy use and a price decrease for this drug.
Cannabis remained the country's staple illegal drug and the easiest to get.
Among the frequent drug users interviewed, those taking drugs intravenously had the highest levels of drug dependency and experienced the greatest number of physical and psychological problems from their drug use, the study found.
- NZPA
