Recreational and non-prescribed use of pharmaceuticals, and the use of psychedelics for therapeutic purposes were two new topics introduced in the 2024 NZDTS.
The NZDTS provides an annual snapshot of drug trends in Aotearoa New Zealand and surveyed 10,000+ people asking about drug use patterns, drug market prices, views on drug policy reform, help services and harm reduction initiatives. The 2024 survey introduced two new topics: recreational and non-prescribed use of pharmaceuticals and the use of psychedelics for therapeutic purposes.
Twenty-seven per cent of all respondents (10,781) reported non-medical use of pharmaceuticals in the previous six months. Of the 5,778 respondents who recently used psychedelics, MDMA and ketamine, 24 per cent reported using these and other psychedelics (e.g. Dimethyltryptamine, salvia) for therapeutic purposes.
Dr Robin van der Sanden of the New Zealand Drugs Research Team at Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa Massey University’s SHORE & Whāriki Research Centre says, “Globally we’re witnessing what is sometimes termed a ‘psychedelic renaissance’, particularly around the potential of substances like psilocybin, LSD, ketamine and MDMA to have therapeutic and medicinal benefits for mental health and wellbeing.
“Research of the therapeutic benefits of psychedelics is ongoing and clinical trials of LSD microdosing as a therapeutic aid for terminal cancer patients has recently been announced, while off-label prescribing of ketamine for depression and anxiety disorders is also used, but remains rare. There’s also growing awareness of these potential benefits among the general public. As a result, we’re seeing people increasingly sourcing psychedelics to self-medicate.”
Dr Van der Sanden adds that in New Zealand, most psychedelics remain illegal scheduled drugs, so people are largely obtaining them through illegal channels.
“Continued illegal sourcing of psychedelics raises issues around their safety for therapeutic use and people’s ability to correctly estimate dose and purity of the substances they might be taking for quite sensitive issues.”
Dr Van der Sanden says non-medical use of pharmaceuticals is a complex issue as it can describe people using pharmaceuticals for recreational reasons, or those using them in ways they weren’t directed to by a health professional.
“It also applies to people who are using a pharmaceutical like tramadol for pain relief, which is what tramadol is prescribed for, only the tramadol wasn’t prescribed to them personally.”
She adds that the most commonly cited reasons for non-prescribed and recreational use of pharmaceuticals among NZDTS respondents were pain relief, sleep or relaxation and to get high/have fun.
Among people who regularly use illegal drugs, Dr Van der Sanden says non-medical pharmaceutical use is often much higher than in the general population. Among NZDTS respondents, rates of non-medical use of prescription opioids and benzodiazepines/sedatives were fairly similar across the country, while Otago and Wellington had slightly higher rates of non-medical use of ADHD medications.
“Internationally, there’s evidence linking student populations to non-medical use of stimulant medications like Ritalin, which are sometimes referred to as ‘study drugs’. There’s also some evidence that among people who regularly use MDMA, rates of recreational ADHD medication use might also be higher. NZDTS findings previously released show that these regions also have high rates of MDMA use.”
Of respondents reporting recent non-medical use, over half (55 per cent) had been gifted pharmaceuticals from friends, and 43 per cent had obtained them via their own prescriptions. Only a minority (8 per cent) had purchased them from a drug dealer.
The NZDTS is conducted by the NZ Drugs Research Team at Massey’s SHORE & Whāriki Research Centre. The Team consists of Professor Chris Wilkins, Dr Marta Rychert, Dr Robin van der Sanden, Dr Jose Romeo and Thomas Graydon-Guy.
The NZDTS was completed by 10,781 New Zealanders from around the country between 20 Feburary and 3 July 2024.
Read the full 2024 NZDTS bulletins.
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