Ecstasy use hits new highs

By PATRICK GOWER

New Zealanders are now popping more than a million pills of the designer drug Ecstasy a year.

The estimate is part of a Customs Service report released yesterday that shows a 3000 per cent increase in seizures of the drug in the past three years.

During last year, 255,000 Ecstasy pills were intercepted at the border. In 2000, Customs seized 9206 of the pills. They have already seized 70,000 so far this year.

But Customs believe they are stopping only 15 per cent of the pills destined for the street.

The increase is blamed on a surge in the use of amphetamine-type drugs in the past five years, with those in the designer drug scene viewing their usage as less harmful than alcohol and without the stigma of hard drugs like heroin.

The Government is to spend an extra $1.9 million beefing up border security as a result of the "Project Horizon" report, a review of the Customs drug enforcement policy.

The funding will include the employment of a further 12 specialist drug investigators and another four intelligence analysts. They currently have about 30 drug investigators and an undisclosed number of intelligence analysts.

"We have an increased hard drug problem here," said Customs Minister Rick Barker. "[It is] fuelled from both domestic and imported supply and Customs needs to be better equipped to meet this problem."

The report's estimate of drug use was derived from census figures and an Alcohol and Public Health drug use survey.

Although marijuana remains the most popular illegal drug, with 250,746 regular users, there is a growth in users of methamphetamines (58,507) and Ecstasy (38,448).

With regular users taking an average of two Ecstasy pills a month, that makes a total of 922,752 pills last year - which the Customs Service believes would easily pass the million mark when casual or one-off users are added.

While the more readily available methamphetamine can be easily manufactured in New Zealand, Ecstasy has an elaborate chemical process and is mainly imported by international organised crime syndicates who source it in Europe.

Ecstasy sells on the streets of Auckland for $60 to $80 a pill. This is compared with $14 to $24 in Amsterdam. The street price here is even further above the $1 it costs to produce the pills in Europe - a possible 6000 to 8000 per cent profit margin.

"We're a very viable market," said Customs drug investigations manager Simon Williamson. "It indicates a return to the days of the 1970s Mr Asia saturation drug supply, with Ecstasy taking the place of heroin."

Mr Williamson said the popularity of amphetamine-type drugs like Ecstasy, methamphetamine and pure crystal methamphetamine had created "a whole new ball game" for customs.

"What we are saying in this report is that the country needs to be aware that there is a very big problem out there."

Ecstasy

* Popular in the dance scene, known as E, XTC, eckies, and also named after logos such as "apples" or "doves".

* Usually in pill form, it most commonly consists of the class B controlled drug MDMA , a stimulant with mild hallucinogenic properties.

* Each pill costs between $60 and $80 on the street but can be made for just $1 in Europe.

* Its use brings on positive feelings, empathy for others and "extreme relaxation". Lasts for 4-6 hours, and can be used to help endure two- to three-day parties. Renowned for its "come-down".

* Can cause dehydration and exhaustion. Overdoses can be fatal, resulting in heart failure and extreme heat stroke. Three deaths have been attributed to the drug in New Zealand.