Drug trends

Cocaine is not used extensively in New Zealand and has rarely been the focus of media attention or the cause of a significant number of hospital admissions.

According to the latest Drug Use in New Zealand Survey 2007/2008 published in 2009:

• 3.6% of the population has tried cocaine.
• 0.6% of the population used cocaine in the past year.
• males are more likely to use than females
• use peaks in the 25 to 34-year-old age group
• one in seven past year users use cocaine at least weekly and half have used once or twice in the past year
• cocaine was most likely to be used in combination with alcohol with 61.1% of past year users doing so.