Methamphetamine Crisis in New Zealand: Addiction, Gangs, and Community Impact

Methamphetamine Crisis in New Zealand

Methamphetamine (Meth) is highly prevalent in New Zealand. It affects brain functioning and mental health by releasing dopamine, noradrenaline, and serotonin—crucial neurotransmitters.

Prevalence and Production

Meth use among young adults aged 15–24 is a significant health issue, exacerbated by the drug's accessibility and frequency of use.

The latest New Zealand Health Survey estimates that about 34,000 individuals aged 16 to 64 used amphetamines in the past year.

The Dangers of Methamphetamine Production

Methamphetamine production involves a simple recipe often available online, allowing synthesis in as little as six hours using easily transportable cookware. Common ingredients include:

• Over-the-counter cold medications
• Red phosphorus
• Hydrochloric acid
• Other chemicals

Cooking meth poses significant toxic and explosive risks, endangering both people and the environment.

Personal Impact: Addiction and Health Consequences

The Mechanism of Addiction

Meth causes a surge of dopamine, producing intense pleasure which leads to repeated use and addiction. Users often binge every few hours for days, without food or sleep.

Chronic use damages dopamine-producing brain cells, requiring higher or more frequent doses to feel the same high. Prolonged meth use can cause physiological dependence, leading to severe withdrawal symptoms:

• Fatigue
• Depression
• Anxiety
• Cravings
• Concentration problems

While withdrawal is not usually life-threatening, it is psychologically difficult. Meth addiction can also lead to overdoses, causing:

• Heart attacks
• Strokes
• Brain damage affecting memory and coordination

Addiction Trends and Service Gaps in NZ

Meth addiction is a significant issue in New Zealand:

• Daily or near-daily use rose from 19% in 2022 to 29% in 2024 among users.
• The 2017/18 NZ Drug Trends Survey reported 31% felt dependent in the past six months.

Despite this high dependency rate, only 9.1% of mental health and addiction funding goes to addiction services, which handle 25.4% of the caseload. Consequently, wait times are increasing, and declined referrals rose from 4.7% in 2019/20 to 8.6% in 2023/24.

Economic Impact: Gang Control of Supply

Professor Chris Wilkins states that gangs are involved at every level of meth supply in New Zealand—from importation to retail—including high-use regions such as:

• Upper and Central North Island
• East Coast
• Southland
• Upper South Island

In Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay, nearly 70% of respondents reported that one or two gangs dominate the meth market. The New Zealand Drug Trends Survey shows that about one-third of meth buyers purchase from gang members or associates—a rate much higher than for other drugs.

Gang involvement increases meth supply reliability and availability, lowers prices, and thereby worsens use and addiction rates.

Socioeconomic Impact on Deprived Communities

According to the HCF, Meth’s negative impacts are particularly severe in communities with high pre-existing levels of deprivation, where prevalence of use is significantly higher than the population average.

Rural and Regional Hotspots

Wastewater testing consistently shows the highest per capita methamphetamine use in rural towns. Drug testing data from January 1 to March 31 this year by TDDA highlights that methamphetamine is the drug of choice for between 20% and 30.6% of drug users throughout most of rural NZ.

The rate of meth detected in samples increased sharply during the sampling period:

• January: 13.7%
• February: 18.2%
• March: 24.9%

Though every region is now recording higher-than-average meth consumption, Northland and Central Hawke’s Bay are the most affected. The small Hawke’s Bay town of Waipukurau saw a 333% increase in usage in 2024, marking the biggest jump in the country. In Kaikohe in the Far North, meth use is so high that local support services report addiction has become generational.

Disproportionate Impact on Māori

Māori use meth at a higher rate than non-Māori and are criminalized for its use at a disproportionately higher rate. The impact of colonization and ongoing systemic racism leads to Māori being more likely to suffer from mental health and addiction issues, and generally from poorer health overall.