Sarah Helm: Drug Foundation CEO on the record levels of meth and cocaine consumption revealed by wastewater testing

The Drug Foundation wants urgent action, with meth and cocaine consumption reaching record levels. 

Police wastewater testing between June and September reveals levels of both drugs were at the highest volumes recorded since the programme began six years ago. 

Chief Executive Sarah Helm says harm reduction, addiction and acute healthcare services all need to be prepared for an increase in need. 

She told Heather du Plessis-Allan they’ve been hearing anecdotally that there hasn’t been a growth in the number of people consuming the drugs – meaning there’s potentially a small number of people consuming a lot more of it.  

Helm says they’re really concerned we’ll be seeing a very acute harm, with hospitalisations, psychosis, heart health issues, and a growth in addiction. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Drug use has skyrocketed in the last few months. The
latest wastewater samples in quarter three of this year show
that New Zealand is using more than twice as much
meth as the same time last year, so it's more
than doubled and cocaine use is also at an all
time high. Drug Foundation Executive director Sarah Halbers with US morning.

Speaker 2 (00:17):
Sarah, good morning.

Speaker 1 (00:19):
What's happened? Why are more Is it a case of
more people using the drugs or the same number of
people using more of the drugs.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Yeah, with cocaine we have had an uncreasse and then
number of people consuming it. But with messamphetamine, we don't
believe that has been the case. So we obviously the
wastewater only tells us how much has been consumed. We
have to look at other data sources and our own
networks and what we're anecdotally hearing hasn't been a growth

(00:48):
in the number of people consuming this. So this is
a small number of people potentially consuming a lot more
of it.

Speaker 1 (00:55):
Well, I mean, if you've got the same number of
people doubling their use, that means some people are going
to get very sick, doesn't it.

Speaker 2 (01:01):
Yeah, we are really considered that we'll be saying very
acute harms, hospitalized sessions, psychosis, heart health issues, and a
growth of addiction. Both of these substances represent our more
sort of harmful and addictive end of the spectrum.

Speaker 1 (01:20):
Why is this happening, Sarah, because I would have thought
that in a recession, actually we can't afford as much,
so drug you should go down, shouldn't it.

Speaker 2 (01:28):
Oh? Well, two things. There's been a massive increase in
global supply, particularly in cocaine. They've gone a lot better
at producing cocaine as a way of getting around our
sort of bann and police approach. And with them better
men understand. There's more supply chains and unlike other markets,
we seeing prices reduice and actually there's a wed thing

(01:52):
that can happen. I mean, I'm drawing some conclusions here,
but with them betterment suppresses appetite. So also you know,
for people lower struggling, that actually might have a reverse
impact you all.

Speaker 1 (02:03):
Right, Hey, Sarah, Thanks very much, Sarah Helm, Drug Foundation
Executive Director. For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen
live to news Talks at b from six am weekdays,
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