P use appears to be levelling out

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.

Progressive Party leader Jim Anderton said the slight increase in alternative drug use after a ban could be expected.

"The Expert Advisory Committee said that there would be a small uptake of other drugs when BZP was banned but nothing too significant," he said. "We expected the net benefit to be very positive - as this report has shown."

The issue would be investigated more closely over the next six months, with a follow-up of a 2006 survey to see if drug habits had changed.

Dr Wilkins said while the ban on BZP had been a success, use of the drug might have already been declining.

The report also found a trend of drug users getting behind the wheel and driving - and that they do not expect to be caught by police.

Dr Wilkins said people on drugs were twice as likely as alcohol drinkers to drive under the influence, with cannabis the most likely drug, then P.

The IDMS interviewed 404 frequent drug users from August to December last year.

* NZ's drug habits

Ecstasy (MDMA)

The use of Ecstasy appears to be increasing. The mean price of a pill fell from $59 to $55. It is possible that surplus stocks of BZP pills are being sold as Ecstasy, and it remains unclear how much Ecstasy sold in New Zealand contains substances other than MDMA.

Cannabis

Frequent drug users considered cannabis easier to obtain. However, the New Zealand National Household Drug Survey showed cannabis use has declined in recent years.

Benzylpiperazine (BZP)

The April 2008 ban seems to have had considerable negative impact on BZP use with frequent users saying less of the drug was being consumed by them and people they knew.

Cocaine

Cocaine was considered very difficult to obtain. In the last year it was reportedly more available, and the purity of the cocaine was considered higher than the last two years.

LSD

In steady decline over the decade, from 3.9 per cent in 1998 to 1.8 per cent in 2006. LSD was considered more available in 2008 than in 2006.

Methamphetamine ('P')

The use of P was believed to be levelling out, with less people using it and methamphetamine being more difficult to get hold of. The price of a gram of methamphetamine rose to $698 from $610 in 2006.

Opioids

The most common opioids were street methadone - which had an increased number of users - and street morphine. Heroin was considered very difficult to obtain. The price of heroin was increasing and fewer people were using it.