Wastewater testing has shown that Westport's methamphetamine use is double that of nearby Greymouth's. Photo: 123rf
This story discusses details of suicide.
Westport's methamphetamine use is double that of its near-neighbour, Greymouth, and well above the national average, a public meeting was told in Westport last night.
More than 100 people attended a presentation from the Methamphetamine Impact Group (MIG).
Greymouth detective sergeant Graham Parsons said wastewater testing by the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR) showed Westport's meth use was twice that of Greymouth and 32.9 percent above the national average.
"Why is it higher than Greymouth when we're only just (100km) up the road? We've got a lot of issues here that need addressing."
Wastewater tests over the past year showed 747 micrograms (mcg) of meth consumed per day per 1000 people in Westport, 377mcg/day/1000 people in Greymouth and 501mcg/day/1000 people nationwide.
Based on the data, police calculated about 1300 doses of meth were taken in Westport and about $26,590 was spent on the drug each week.
Average drug consumption rate over the last 12 months
| Meth | MDMA | Cocaine | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Westport | 747 | 243 | 7 |
| Greymouth | 377 | 273 | 3 |
| National | 501 | 270 | 74 |
Parsons said Westport had been consistently above the national average since testing began in 2019.
While the data indicated meth use, it did not reveal who was using meth or how much they were taking.
Parsons said Westport's size made it well-suited to addressing the problem.
"Smaller communities are like a smaller ship, if you take control of what's going on and work together you can actually make a big difference more quickly than a big metropolitan city."
Although meth was likely being made in Westport, most of it was coming from cities like Christchurch and Nelson, he said.
Parsons encouraged anybody who knew someone addicted to meth to approach local police about recovery pathways and support.
The main presentation came from Dale Kirk of Methcon, a company that visits schools and community groups to discuss meth harm. The former police detective, who once worked on the team locating meth labs nationwide, painted a harrowing picture of meth addiction.
He said meth had become the "DIY drug of choice" since arriving in New Zealand in the 1980s.
Between 1997 and 2006 the number of meth labs in New Zealand had skyrocketed 10,000 percent.
Meth seizures at the border had jumped from 20kg in 2003 to 2600kg last year. Police estimated meth seized was only about 15 percent of what was imported.
Kirk said a hit of meth, one tenth of a gram, cost about $100. One gram could cost between $300 and $700. At the peak of addiction, meth users could take about three grams a day.
Kirk showed videos of interviews with recovering meth users who spoke about the impact of their addiction.
Kirk ended his presentation by talking about the death of his daughter Liana.
He said she had suffered from mental health issues as a teenager, when she started taking MDMA and later meth. After battling her addiction, she committed suicide in 2022.
"One of the things she talked about in her letter was her inability to deal with her drug addiction… I just want to demonstrate that it doesn't matter where you come from, this can affect all of us. She knew everything about this drug, but the addiction is such that it leads you down this path."
Representatives from support agencies spoke of the importance of talking about addiction and seeking support from social agencies to help those struggling.
- This story was first published by the Westport News.
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