Keeping tabs on drug trends

Dr Chris Wilkins stands with his poster appealing for participants in his drug use research. Picture / Kenny Rodger

What's hot and what's not in the illicit drug scene will soon be uncovered by university researchers.

The Massey University team will spend the next two months talking to 180 drug users in what is believed to be the biggest survey of its kind in New Zealand. They hope to find participants for the survey through bars, clubs and cafes in Auckland, Whangarei, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch.

Posters have been put up inviting "24-hour party people" to take part in the study. Participants will be assured of anonymity and the information will only be reported in aggregate, under rules approved by a university ethics committee.

Lead researcher Dr Chris Wilkins, of the university's Centre for Social and Health Outcomes Research and Evaluation (Shore), said they hoped to find out what the trends were for illicit drug use.

Questions would the price, availability, and health effects of substances.

A key aspect will include what drugs are proving most popular and what new ones are hitting the scene.

A Herald investigation into the drug business last month found that drug testers were encountering new substances, including variations of existing drugs produced to appeal to a new market.

The methamphetamine drug P, for example, is being challenged in popularity by the party drug "Ice" - even though the two drugs are virtually identical. Variations of Ecstasy are also on the market, and there have been cases recently of combo-drugs that blend party pill ingredients with substances such as methamphetamine.

Dr Wilkins said the Government-funded survey would be conducted this year and the next two years, at a cost of $140,000 a year.

The regularity of the survey would enable Government agencies such as the Ministry of Health to plot trends and be more pro-active with drug policy, rather than reacting to drug epidemics.

It will supplement the three-yearly national drug survey - a poll of households designed to uncover the extent of substance abuse across the country.

Information will also be gathered from people whose work brings them into contact with drug users, including treatment counsellors, club owners, and health workers. A third strand of information will come from official data such as arrest and seizure figures.

The Ministry of Health's public health intelligence manager, Barry Borman, said he strongly supported the study. 

Call us

If you are interested in taking part, researchers can be contacted at:

* Whangarei 0800 111-490
* Auckland Central 0800 111-491
* Auckland South 0800 111-495
* Hamilton 0800 111-492
* Wellington 0800 111-493
* Christchurch 0800 111-494.