National Drug Intelligence Bureau (NDIB) Detective Inspector Tim Chao said the factors that influenced methamphetamine use and consumption varied which made it difficult to point to one specific cause.
“Global availability, as demonstrated by substantial domestic and international seizures, is likely to be a factor,” Chao said.
NZ Drug Foundation executive director Sarah Helm said New Zealand urgently needed to gear up harm reduction, addiction and acute healthcare services to deal with the inevitable impacts of the increase in the use of addictive illicit substances.
Anecdotally, the NZ Drug Foundation had heard there was a trend of people taking more methamphetamine rather than there being an increase in the number of people using the drug.
“We don’t have any data or anecdotal reports to suggest that the situation is different in Whanganui,” Helm said.
Whanganui area commander Inspector Neil Forlong said there was no doubt that illicit drugs caused significant harm in the community and Whanganui police were working hard to sever the supply.
“Being a smaller city, I just want to reiterate the harm that meth causes in the community,” Forlong said.
Chao said police and Customs worked hard to prevent illicit drugs coming into New Zealand.
They were engaging with international partners to stop illicit drug shipments before they left source countries or to stop them at the border, and this was only one part of the strategy to reduce the trade and use of illicit drugs, he said.
“Police will continue to target gangs and those involved in the supply of illicit substances within New Zealand,” he said.
The weekly social harm cost of methamphetamine for New Zealand was estimated to be $34 million - for just the third quarter of 2024.
Cocaine has also been detected in Whanganui’s water supply.
Eva de Jong is a reporter for the Whanganui Chronicle covering health stories and general news. She began as a reporter in 2023.
