NEWS : 11.6.09 - P use levelling out, ecstasy on the rise ( NZ )

P use levelling out, ecstasy on the rise

June 11, 2009

Methamphetamine use appears to be levelling out, but ecstasy is gaining in popularity, according to a Massey University study just released.

Lead researcher Dr Chris Wilkins said the reasons behind the developments could be the bad reputation of methamphetamine, or P, and the outlawing of the party pill drug BZP last year.

"The ban on BZP may be encouraging more people to use ecstasy," he said.

Wilkins warned that ecstasy users needed to be aware of the risks, including the possibility that they might not be taking pure ecstasy, but a mixture of methamphetamine, ketamine and BZP.

He said the study's findings illustrated the effectiveness of prohibiting a previously legal substance - in this case, BZP - by changing the way it was supplied and making it more difficult and expensive to get.

The findings are contained in the latest annual Illicit Drugs Monitoring System report, which looks at trends in illegal drug use and drug-related harm in New Zealand.

Researchers interviewed 404 frequent drug users in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

Those spoken to reported that fewer people they knew were using methamphetamine last year compared with 2006 and the availability of P had become more difficult.

The report said the price of a gram had increased from $610 in 2006 to $698 last year.

It pointed to other data that were consistent with their findings in terms of level of use.

They included the drop both in the number of illegal labs that police detected and in calls to the Drug and Alcohol Helpline in relation to methamphetamine.

However, the use of ecstasy appeared to be rising, with the drug's availability considered to be easier last year than in 2006.

As well, over the same period, the mean price of a pill fell to $55 from $59.

Cocaine was also reported as having been use increasingly over the past two years.

The report said few of those questioned had any experience of cocaine, which was considered to be difficult to obtain.

Nevertheless, cocaine's availability was reported to have been easier last year than in 2007 and its purity was higher.

Researchers also found that drug use and driving was at least as big a problem as alcohol and driving.

Yet drug users who drove believed they are less likely to be detected when stopped by police than if they had been drinking.

Wilkins said more educational and public awareness campaigns were needed to highlight the risks of driving while under the influence of drugs.

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Ecstasy use on rise

Monday, 15 June 2009

An increase in the use of ecstasy may be due to the outlawing of the party pill drug BZP and the bad reputation of P, according to the latest findings of the illicit drugs monitoring work done by Massey University researchers.

The latest findings of the Illicit Drugs Monitoring System, conducted among frequent drug users each year, show a levelling out of methamphetamine (P) use and increases in ecstasy and cocaine use.

Lead researcher Dr Chris Wilkins from the University’s Centre for Social and Health Outcomes Research and Evaluation says there has been a steady increase in ecstasy use since 2001. Though few of the frequent drug users interviewed had experience of cocaine there were signs it was becoming more readily available and of greater purity.

Dr Wilkins warned that people using ecstasy needed to be aware of its risks, including the risk that they may not be taking pure ecstasy but a mixture of methamphetamine, ketamine and BZP.

“The ban on BZP may encouraging more people to use ecstasy and this is an issue which we intend to investigate in detail over the next six weeks.”

The study’s findings illustrate the effectiveness of prohibiting a previously legal substance – in this case BZP – by changing the way it is supplied and making it more difficult and expensive to get.

Researchers also found that drug use and driving is at least as big a problem as alcohol and driving.
Yet drug users who drive believe they are less likely to be detected when stopped by police than if they were under the influence of alcohol, says Dr Wilkins.

More educational and public awareness campaigns are needed to highlight the risks of driving while under the influence of drugs, he says.

“People need to be made aware that driving under the influence of cannabis, methamphetamine and other illegal drugs is just as big a risk to themselves and others as driving under the influence of alcohol, and they are just as likely to be caught.”

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the mean price of a pill fell to $55 from $59

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The report said the price of a gram had increased from $610 in 2006 to $698 last year.

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Crankinit said:

I think 'P' is one of those names the media invents because it sounds cool that nobody actually uses. Just like no self respecting drug user ever refers to meth as 'ice' or calls ghb 'fantasy'

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