Wastewater tests show New Zealand consumes an average of at least ten kilograms meth on average every week, earning millions of dollars for organised crime. As support services face increasing demand, campaigners are calling drug policy rethink.
Moana House is a haven for those lucky enough to get a room.
The Dunedin rehab centre has been run by Claire Aitken for decades, but recently, she’s seen a growing need for change.
“We know that people are presenting at a much younger age from daycare and schools with what are presenting as behavioural and whanau issues and eventually they'll end up being something else.”
“I don't think that New Zealand's done a very good job of tackling difficulties holistically.”
READ MORE: Canadian region decriminalising some drugs for 3 years
Her waitlist is always more than 100 and demand's increasing.
“It's not that easy to access services and it's not easy to access specialist addiction services in Dunedin and it's been difficult for a long time, Covid's made it worse.”
Police detective inspector Blair Macdonald is the Manager of the National Drug Intelligence Bureau.
He says wastewater testing over the last year shows methamphetamine use almost doubled after the country went into lockdown.
“Starting in September last year, we've observed a concerning increase in the consumption of Methamphetamine which peaked in August reaching a record high of 20 kilos.”
He says that's 65 per cent above the 12-month average, although it dropped by 4 kilograms in March, it was still sitting around 16 kilograms per week.
A figure which translates to $8 million generated for organised crime each week.
“Now that's driving investment back into those groups and syndicates which will lead to ongoing crime and offending.”
The Drug Foundation’s Sarah Helm says they want a more health-based approach to drug harm programmes.
“At the moment we're chucking money after bad we're throwing people through a criminal prosecution process it doesn't work it actually prevents people from getting help.”
She says Canada’s government has announced a three-year experiment in British Columbia to decriminalise the possession of small amounts of some illicit drugs to minimise harm.
“British Columbia are doing a really sensible thing of trialling it for a few years.”
“We need to make the moves to decriminalise…. to rewrite our 1975 almost 50-year-old drug laws.”
“At the moment we are putting huge barriers in the way of people that need help.”
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