Content warning: This article discusses drug use.
The annual New Zealand Drug Trends Survey recently came out and 10,000 New Zealanders weighed in on their drug habits.
Re: News spoke to drug experts about key findings from the survey.
1. Cannabis is the most commonly used drug, followed by MDMA, LSD, cocaine and ketamine
Chris Wilkins is the leader of the drug research team at SHORE & Whariki Research Centre and says the survey found cannabis is easy to get because there are high levels of availability.
Almost 20% of users are growing at least some of their cannabis themselves, he says.
Taranaki, Northland, Southland and the West Coast were the regions where participants reported the most home growing.
2. Prices are dropping for several drugs, especially meth
The New Zealand Drug Trends Survey (NZDTS) has been running since 2017 and over that time, the drop in the price of meth has stuck out to Wilkins.
A gram of meth used to cost around $563 in 2017 but it’s now dropped to around $360, which is a 36% decrease.
The survey found Auckland had the lowest price of meth per gram by a long shot, followed by the Bay of Plenty and Waikato.
“We're living in this cost of living crisis, where inflation and the prices of everything is going up, but it seems that meth is actually going down quite a great deal,” Wilkins says.
It’s not just meth that’s cheaper now.
A gram of MDMA cost around $301 in 2017 and is now around $221.
The average price of a tab of LSD has gone down from $36 in 2018 to $29 in 2024.
An ounce of cannabis has also decreased from $368 in 2017 to $329 this year.
3. Cocaine is becoming more prevalent in New Zealand
While the other trends were identified over many years, the rising availability and use of cocaine spiked specifically in 2024.
The survey found cocaine use has increased across all regions this year with the largest increases reported in Northland, Bay of Plenty and Auckland.
Wilkins says traditionally cocaine use has been low in New Zealand and the rise is most likely because global cocaine supply reached a record high in 2022 which prompted suppliers to expand in new markets like New Zealand.
Cocaine is still very expensive in New Zealand and prices haven’t dropped, with most users saying they infrequently use the drug, he says.
4. Rates of recent nicotine vaping surpassed tobacco smoking for the first time
Wilkins says vaping surpassing tobacco smoking in the NZDTS is a “sign of the times” because vaping is popular with young people.
Action for Smokefree 2025 (ASH) director Ben Youdan says the increase in vaping and the decline in smoking are almost mirror images of each other, especially with young smokers and wāhine Māori.
He says “over the last five years, the rate at which smoking rates have fallen for Māori women are almost unheard of worldwide”, calling it a phenomenal achievement that has been overlooked.
At a population level, the tens of thousands of adults who have transitioned from smoking to vaping has a public health benefit, but it’s not harmless, he says.
“For never-smokers, especially young people, vaping is almost certainly more harmful than not smoking or vaping at all.”
Youdan says we can be doing more to control vape sales to minors, help vapers understand their devices shouldn’t be accessible to children and taking evidence-based approaches to youth prevention.
“We know that fear based campaigns that exaggerate risks, or stigmatise users, don't work.”
That being said, a recent survey from the Asthma and Respiratory Foundation recently found overall youth vaping rates in New Zealand have dropped more than 50% over the past three years.
Youdan says those findings are encouraging and the drops suggest recent policies might be having an effect.
5. MDMA and ketamine are most commonly used in university cities
MDMA and ketamine are popular with young demographics and the survey found their use was highest in Otago, Wellington and Canterbury.
Both Wilkins and Helm think that could be because all of those cities have universities and therefore a large population of young people.
Wilkins thinks there is a relationship between the use of MDMA and meth.
“Because ecstasy (MDMA) is so popular in the South Island university town, so that means that methamphetamine use is lower,” Wilkins says.
The correlation works the other way around too, with meth use being higher in the central and upper North Island and MDMA use being lower there, he says.
Wilkins says use of MDMA is associated with specific events, like parties or music events, and the distribution is often done between friends.
“It tends to be more of that kind of social supply selling network rather than, you know, what you'd call a drug dealer.”
Why are drug prices dropping?
Wilkins says his generation might picture buying drugs as meeting up with a dodgy guy in a dark alleyway but today a lot of it is done online through social media and encrypted apps on phones which involves less risk.
When it comes to synthetic drugs like meth, Wilkins says they can be made anywhere which makes a larger scale of production easier, unlike plant-based drugs which must be grown in soil.
The combined rise of digital drug markets and synthetic drug production has most likely led to the drop in prices we’re seeing now, he says.
Executive director of the NZ Drug Foundation Sarah Helm says a decrease in drug prices usually means an increase in availability on the black market, which is expected to result in increased use.
“If people are using drugs for the first time, or are using more drugs than they were before, we would encourage them to make sure they are getting them checked at a free, legal, confidential drug checking clinic, as well as getting clued up on how to stay safer at thelevel.org.nz,” she says.
Where to get help:
- Alcohol Drug Helpline: A 24/7 telehealth service providing confidential advice, information or support about drinking or other drug use. Free call on 0800 787 797 or free text 8681.
- Narcotics Anonymous: A global organisation of recovering addicts who meet regularly to help each other stay clean. Meetings are free. Free call on 0800 628 632.
- Alcoholics Anonymous: A fellowship of people who share their experiences with alcoholism and help others to recover. Membership is free. Free call on 0800 229 6757.
- Primary Health Care Services. You can start by talking with your GP or practice nurse. Usual fees will apply.
More stories:
We asked event organisers what they’re doing to make shows accessible
“It shouldn't have to be us begging for accessibility, it should be built in”.
NZers are getting teeth removed because it's cheaper than fixing them
New report shows how much the dental care system is costing Aotearoa
What to expect when you stop smoking weed
“Nobody talks about how hard it is to stop."