Glenn Dobson: Drug Detection Agency chief executive on Kiwis getting through over 17kg of methamphetatime per week

Police believe methamphetamine has become a $19.4 million problem in this country.

New figures show Kiwis are getting through 17.5kg of it each week.

And cocaine usage is also on the rise — with 3kg of it consumed each week.

Drug Detection Agency chief executive Glenn Dobson joined Mike Hosking.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
We've got some new stats around drugs. Police believe meth
has become a nineteen million dollar problem in this country.
The nineteen million dollars is a month. By the way,
we're getting through seventeen and a half kilos of the
stuff each week. Cocaine usage is also it's also on
the rise. Were such a cool country, aren't we? Drug
Detection Agency CEO Glenn Dobson's with us. Glenn, very good
morning to you. You might like, what does that mean?

(00:22):
Seventeen and a half kilos? I can do it in flowers.
That a lot of myth. Is everyone on myth? I mean,
what the hell's going on here?

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Yeah, it's a huge amount of drug I mean we're
seeing at TDA we've seen an increase in drug use
as well. And it's interesting that the report talks about coke.
We've seen a big increase in that lately as well.
And drugs like any commodity that they change in fashion,
they change in tastes, and the supply will get pushed
on demand and that the use will increase.

Speaker 1 (00:49):
Who's on the myth?

Speaker 2 (00:51):
Oh? Look, if you read the report, it's high in
the rural areas. It's certainly not a drug anymore that
is just on a lower socio econo or the challenge
parts of society. But certainly it crosses all classes of
society and it doesn't differentiate from that perspective.

Speaker 1 (01:09):
Explain that to me, because you know that meth is
a trip to hell and possibly no return, and there
must be somebody with half a brain that knows that
before they use it. Or have I just lost touch completely?

Speaker 2 (01:22):
Yeah, common sense would make you think that wouldn't. Unfortunately,
common sense is lacking in some of the decisions around
the use of drugs, and potentially also some of the
policy decisions as well. You know, back in twenty eighteen,
previous governments made some decisions around softening the enforcement approach
on drugs, taking a pure health approach, and I think
we're starting see the consequences of that now.

Speaker 1 (01:41):
And they tell me coax all the high end stuff.
It's all the businessmen and the business ladies and the
you know, living out by the sea having a good time.
Is that true or is that just an urban myth?

Speaker 2 (01:52):
No. Look, maybe back in the eighteens and nineties that
was the case. It was the high end, white collar people.
But certainly now it is right across the board. You know,
we're seeing reports out of Australia that cashed up tradees
are using a hell a lot more coke than they
have previously because it's the drug of a professional moment.

Speaker 1 (02:09):
And so they would plead cost of living crisis as well.
But they can still afford all the drugs, can they? No?

Speaker 2 (02:15):
Yeah, I mean I guess that goes against the whole
Princeville the moment that we do have a cost of
living crisis, and certainly that cost of the crisis makes
pill make some dangerous decisions, makes people look for escape
them at times. But look, education is key people. Look,
I really applaud the statement that came out from the
report that said no drug use is safe drug use

(02:37):
and the education people need to know the dangers of
the drugs. They need to know the dangers of the consequences.
And I think this report is great to show the
cost but also at hugely under estimates. I suspect the
costs a lot higher than what's in this report.

Speaker 1 (02:51):
To Glenn, appreciate your expertise as always, Glenn Dobson, the
Drug Detection Agency. For more from the Mic Asking Breakfast,
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