OPIATES REMAIN DRUG OF CHOICE

Christchurch is the nation's injected-drug capital, with users even
injecting veterinary tranquiliser and the behavioural drug Ritalin, a
new national study shows.

Despite recent attention to a supposed P epidemic, the national
Illicit Drug Monitoring System report released yesterday showed
Christchurch has continued its tradition as a cannabis and opiates
stronghold.

Opiates, usually morphine sulfate converted into heroin and injected,
were the second most commonly used drug in Christchurch after
cannabis. They ranked seventh in Auckland and fifth in Wellington.

A telling statistic was that 62 per cent of Christchurch drug users
felt qualified to talk about opiates compared with only 25% in
Auckland and 35% in Wellington.

Opiates were Christchurch's "drug of choice" while Auckland's was P
and Wellington's was ecstasy.

Accordingly, Christchurch had a higher availability of opiates than
Wellington and Auckland and a large efficient black market for the
drugs, the report said.

The report, produced by Massey University's Centre for Social and
Health Outcomes Research and Evaluation (Shore), said Christchurch's
opiate users had reached a "historical critical mass" where there were
now enough users to "sustain an efficient ongoing supply network".

A possible consequence of having a high proportion of injectors was
that injecting other drugs was also common.

The report showed that Christchurch's "whatever they can get"
mentality stretched to injection of pharmacy and industrial-use drugs
like the horse tranquiliser ketamine, the behavioural drug Ritalin and
opiates made from prescription morphine sulfate.

Cannabis was still the king of the country's drugs with the highest
use and availability of any illegal substance.

The report said there was evidence of a large and possibly expanding
black market for cannabis in Christchurch.

The drug was also easier to come by with a higher proportion of
Christchurch users reporting they could obtain cannabis in less than
20 minutes than users in the other two main centres.

The report, the third annual snapshot of the nation's drug use, was
produced by interviewing 642 drug users from the three main centres.

Shore senior researcher Dr Chris Wilkins said Christchurch's
idiosyncratic drug makeup was created by isolation from the main drug
supply route through Auckland.

There were fewer internationally sourced drugs like crystal
methamphetamine and ecstasy available and the city had a long
tradition of do-it-yourself drugs, particularly morphine sulfate users.

The frequency with which they used the drug (often daily) meant supply
routes were entrenched and easily accessed from the familiarity bred
of constant use.

Methamphetamine was more prevalent in the North Island though
Christchurch interviewees reported a growth in P-use.

Ninety per cent of respondents said P was "easy" or "very easy" to buy
in Christchurch.

Christchurch's P was also reported to be increasing in purity compared
with that in Auckland.

Wilkins said the national picture of P was that it had levelled off or
slightly dropped since a "high water mark" in 2001.

But, those left using the drug were more "hard-core", using frequently
and more likely to have financial or legal problems as a
consequence.

Police National Drug Intelligence Bureau co-ordinator Detective
Inspector Stuart Mills said the intensification of P use was worrying
as it led to more crime.

The study was useful to police as it was indicative of drug trends and
markets, he said.