Survey Looks at Drug Use and Age of Onset in New Zealand
New research provides useful information on the extent of non-medical drug use in New Zealand. Researchers from the University of Otago, Christchurch analyzed more than 12,000 interviews of people over the age of 16 conducted by the New Zealand Mental Health Survey (2003/2004) in conjunction with the World Health Organization. They aimed to determine the age when drugs are first used and the percentage of the population who have used drugs for non-medical purposes.
The researchers found that alcohol is the most commonly used drug, with 94 percent of the population having used it in their lives. They also found that tobacco has been used by 51 percent of people, and cannabis has been used by 41 percent of people. Cocaine is less commonly used (4.2 percent), while opioid use (heroin and morphine, for example) is even more uncommon (2.9 percent). Six percent of those surveyed used prescription drugs for non-medical purposes and nearly 10 percent have used other drugs such as LCD and glue.
The results are similar to those in Australia and the US for all drugs except cocaine, which is four times as likely to be used in the US (16.2 percent). Cocaine usage in Columbia and Mexico were similar to New Zealand (4 percent in both countries). Europe has lower cannabis use than New Zealand (6.6 to 19.9 percent) and lower use of cocaine (1.0 to 1.9 percent), except for Spain (4.1 percent).
The study also showed that most people who have tried or used drugs did so for the first time between 16 and 30 years of age, with few new users at older ages. Alcohol was used at the earliest age (half had used by around 15 years of age), followed by cannabis, then opioids, and lastly cocaine (in the late 20s).
One disadvantage in understanding recent drug trends is that questions on methamphetamine and “party pill” use (ketamine, MDMA) were not included in the New Zealand Mental Health Survey. An international interview was used in which these drugs were included within drug groups, but they were not asked about on their own.
The researchers say that these results indicate that a range of strategies to combat drug use should start in adolescence, not only in schools but through interventions at national and local levels.
