Andrew Coster, Commissioner of Police and Chris Hipkins, Minister of Police launch the Lumi drug scanning tool to frontline Police nationwide. Video / Michael Craig
Drug users might be unaware of what they’re really ingesting after testing revealed one in five drugs aren’t what people thought they were.
The NZ Drug Foundation executive director Sarah Helm said that drug-checking services save lives by telling people what’s in their drugs.
“The most dangerous drug is the one someone isn’t expecting.
“The global drug market is becoming more and more volatile. We’re seeing some concerning substances in circulation, so we really encourage everyone to get their drugs checked.”
Helm says that drug-checking providers have identified several dangerous substances sold as other drugs recently, including powerful synthetic opioids called nitazenes, novel benzodiazepines, synthetic cathinones, and even non-psychoactive industrial chemicals like cyclohexanamine.
Metonitazene is more potent than fentanyl. Photo / Supplied
Last year fake oxycodone tablets that contained the highly potent synthetic opioid metonitazene might have been linked to a death and several serious hospitalisations in New Zealand.
“We don’t just tell people what’s in their drugs. We have a confidential harm reduction conversation with every person who walks through the door about ways to stay safer.
“For some people, it’s the first time they’ve been able to have an honest conversation about their drug use.”
Helm said the growth of the service is down to staff working hard to build trust among a more diverse range of people who use drugs.
“We have an amazing drug-checking team who have worked really hard to build trust by delivering a friendly, confidential and non-judgmental service that helps people to stay safer. The feedback that is highlighted in the report is heartening.”
Key findings from the report:
Out of all samples checked in 2023:
64 per cent were what people expected. Some of these drugs contained binder or filler.
8.5 per cent contained a completely different drug to what the person expected.
6.5 per cent contained the drug the person expected plus one or more other psychoactive or hazardous substances.
3 per cent returned inconclusive results.
For the remaining samples, the drug was unknown when it was brought in or the person chose not to disclose it.
Samples that were found to be as expected (or combined with non-psychoactive binder or filler):
