Dr Chris Wilkins says people are now better informed about the danger that P poses. Photo / Kenny Rodger

Dr Chris Wilkins says people are now better informed about the danger that P poses. Photo / Kenny Rodger

A levelling-out in the use of the drug P has coincided with an increase in Ecstasy use in New Zealand, new research suggests.

In the annual survey of frequent drug users, the Illicit Drug Monitoring System reported an increased wariness among users of methamphetamine-based drugs, including P.

IDMS lead researcher Dr Chris Wilkins said: "Methamphetamine is no longer the new drug on the block and users of that drug know that it can lead to problems."

Survey respondents reported that fewer people they knew were using methamphetamine, and that the drug was more difficult to get hold of in 2008 compared with 2007.

Methamphetamine had also become more expensive. The price of a gram of the drug increased from $610 in 2006 to $698 in 2008.

Secondary research echoed the respondents' belief that the use of P was levelling out. The New Zealand National Household Drug Survey showed methamphetamine use in the past year had not changed.

The number of calls to the Drug and Alcohol Helpline for methamphetamine-related problems fell considerably between 2006 and 2008.

The study also revealed that more New Zealanders were using Ecstasy, which is easier and cheaper to buy.

Ecstasy is also more popular worldwide and Dr Wilkins said there was a perception it was a less-addictive and safer recreational drug.

This belief was "feeding" into Ecstasy use, while P use was stable.

He said the findings in the report released today were "particularly concerning" because it seemed to show Ecstasy use was rising quickly.

A 2006 survey showed 3.9 per cent of the population used Ecstasy regularly, up from 1.5 per cent in 1998.

This trend mimicked Ecstasy use in Australia, where 3.5 per cent of the population were believed to use the drug, compared with 2. per cent in 2001.

Dr Wilkins warned of the added risk to Ecstasy users of an impure product, which made the effects of the drug unpredictable.

"People should be aware ... that what they are taking may not be pure Ecstasy but a mixture of methamphetamine, ketamine and BZP."

Dr Wilkins told the Herald that the ban on BZP was a factor in the rise in popularity of Ecstasy.

He said that while the ban on BZP had been a success - with fewer drug users reporting its use - research was needed into whether the ban had resulted in the increase of other drugs.