Drugs in NZ - an overview

Almost 80 percent of New Zealand’s adult population report drinking alcohol at least once in the last year, and around 20 percent drink in a way that risks physical or mental harm. To work out whether your drinking is harmful check out this online tool.

Fourteen percent of New Zealanders are current smokers. Māori are disproportionately represented, with 34 percent being current smokers. Like alcohol and other drugs, smoking harm is most sharply felt by those already suffering socio-economic deprivation.

Cannabis is the most commonly used illicit drug used in New Zealand

Fifteen percent of adults used cannabis in the past year, and 8.5 percent, or 330,000 adults, smoke cannabis monthly. Use is higher in Māori, young people and those in more deprived neighbourhoods.

Methamphetamine use has remained relatively stable in the past 5 years, but some communities face more harm

It’s widely believed that methamphetamine (‘P’) use is growing in New Zealand. However, overall numbers of people using amphetamines (including methamphetamine) have remained relatively stable in the past 5 years, at around 1 percent of the population.

It’s hard to determine how accurate these figures are, because official surveys don’t include populations that have higher rates of drug use, such as people who are in insecure housing or in prison. It’s fair to say that while overall usage remains low, methamphetamine has become a serious concern in some communities.

Use of other illicit drugs is relatively low in New Zealand

The last published Ministry of Health survey on illicit drug use was done over a decade ago in 2007/08. It found that use of other drugs such as LSD, and opiates was not widespread. More recent figures from 2012/13 showed fewer than 3% of New Zealanders had used ecstasy in the past year.

Use of alcohol and other drugs in New Zealand teenagers is declining, particularly for drinking and smoking. However, in 2012, around 10 percent of secondary school students used substances at a level likely to cause them significant harm.

Six percent of 15 to 17 year olds drink in a way that risks physical or mental harm. While 13 percent of secondary school students used cannabis in 2012, only 3 percent used weekly. Use of other drugs was much less common, especially methamphetamine, LSD and heroin with fewer than 1 percent using in the past year.

While not all drug use is harmful, drug harm costs New Zealand a lot of money. The social cost of drug-related harm was estimated to cost New Zealand $1.8 billion in 2014/15. The social cost includes harms to an individual’s health, whānau, friends and the wider community.

The Government spends around $350 million each year addressing drug-related issues. Most of this money is spent on enforcement, rather than treatment.

The Government’s Drug Harm Index 2016 estimates yearly expenditure by government agencies on drug-related issues as follows:

Figures have been taken from the most recent data available in the Ministry of Health’s New Zealand Health Survey, the Health Promotion Agency’s Health and Lifestyle Survey, the NZ Drug Harm Index 2016, Youth 2000 (2012) and the National Drug Policy 2015-2020.