Aim: To track trends in drug use in the New Zealand population over the past 8 years.
Method: National household surveys of drug use were conducted in New Zealand in 1998, 2001, 2003,and 2006 using the same Computer Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI) methodology. The age ranges of the random digit dial (RDD) samples from each survey wave were truncated to those aged 15-45 years old. The respective sample sizes for each of the survey waves were: 5475 in 1998; 5504 in 2001, 3042 in 2003, and 1902 in 2006. Statistical comparisons were made between the 2006 survey wave and the three other survey waves for 13 different drug types.
Results: A higher proportion of the sample had tried alcohol in their lifetimes in 2006 compared to 2003 (89.5% vs 83.7%, p<0.0001) and compared to 2001 (89.5% vs 86.4%, p=0.0038). A lower proportion had tried tobacco in 2006 compared to 2001 (57.6% vs 63.9%, p<0.0001) and compared to 1998 (57.6% vs 64.4%, p<0.0001). A lower proportion had used cannabis in the past 12 months in 2006 compared to 2001 (17.9% vs 20.3%, p=0.0448). A lower proportion had used amphetamine in the past year in 2006 than in 2001 (3.4% vs 5.0%, p=0.0085). A higher proportion of the sample had used ecstasy (MDMA) in the past year in 2006 compared to 1998 (3.9% vs 1.5%, p<0.0001). There was an increase in the level of alcohol use by last year drinkers in 2006 compared to 1998 with an increase in the proportion of drinkers saying they were using 'more' alcohol and a decrease in those saying they were using 'less' alcohol. There was an increase in the level of amphetamine use by current amphetamine users in 2006 compared to 2003 with less users saying they had 'stopped' using the drug (12% vs 42%, p=0.0386).
Conclusions: The rise in the lifetime use and level of use of alcohol is consistent with the liberalisation of the alcohol environment in New Zealand. Conversely, the decline in the lifetime use of tobacco reflects stricter regulation and shifts in societal tolerance of smoking. The growing negative social connotations attached to smoking, as well the emergence of new synthetic stimulants, may have impacted negatively on levels of cannabis use. There has been some entrenchment of amphetamine use since a reported levelling off of its prevalence in 2003.