Drug trends

Methamphetamine has been the focus of considerable public attention in recent years. Recognising the risk of harm to both individual users and to society and in response to public concern, methamphetamine was upgraded to a Class A controlled substance. Penalties and police powers to investigate the manufacture, sale and use of methamphetamine were increased with this move.

Methamphetamine is relatively easy to synthesise from commonly available medications in New Zealand, and it can be made in labs often small enough to fit into a room or car boot. These are often called 'clan labs', short for clandestine (secret) laboratories.

Many of the chemicals used in the synthesising process are highly corrosive and dangerous, and houses where methamphetamine has been produced often must be extensively cleaned and detoxified. The police estimate that producing one kilogram of methamphetamine creates seven kilograms of toxic by-product.

Methamphetamine can also be sourced from overseas, particularly Asian countries. In addition, much of the material it is made from (cold and flu remedies that contain pseudoephedrine) can be sourced from overseas.

Recent surveys found that:

• 55 percent of frequent methamphetamine users reported harm in the areas of 'health' and 'friendship and social life'
• 21 percent of frequent users reported suicidal thoughts and 13 percent made 'suicide attempts' after using methamphetamine
• about half of frequent users reported no difficulties with their use, nor with their ability to stop or go without.
• two thirds of frequent methamphetamine users were male, with a media age of 28 years
• two thirds were European, with 26 percent Maori
• half were employed
• 31 percent had injected in the previous six months
• 73 percent had 'binged' in the previous six months, using the drug continuously for more than 48 hours
• 52 percent said methamphetamine was "very easy" to get
• 17 percent said they could source methamphetamine in less than 20 minutes.