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New Zealand; QLD
Media release
From:
Key Points
Wastewater analysis coincided with the New Zealand census to align drug use, population and demographic datasets.
Methamphetamine consumption in New Zealand was high by international standards, whereas cocaine use was very low.
Methamphetamine consumption was generally higher in less urban areas, whereas MDMA and cocaine consumption was higher in cities; however, a simple urban-rural generalisation does not fully explain the observed trends, highlighting the relevance of site-specific supply and demand dynamics.
MDMA and cocaine were correlated with neighbourhood-scale socioeconomic advantage, whereas methamphetamine was more correlated with disadvantage. However, the data highlight that methamphetamine is present in advantaged communities too
The real values of the wastewater dataset is its ability to support more common data collection techniques, such as surveys.
Summary
Wastewater samples were collected across seven sites in three regions of New Zealand to coincide with the 2018 census. This provided a way to quantify drug use and sociodemographics and assess the accuracy of drug survey techniques. The data show the expected regional, sub-regional and temporal patterns of illicit drug use, such as more MDMA consumed on the weekends than during the week. The key take home messages is that, in combination with complementary data like censuses, surveys and seizure information, wastewater analysis can help guide harm reduction policy for the wellbeing of New Zealand.
