ECSTASY AND COCAINE GAIN GROUND ON P

NEW Zealand is winning the battle against methamphetamine, but ecstasy
and cocaine use has doubled, an international drug report says.

The United Nations World Drug Report, based on an annual snapshot of
worldwide drug use, also shows New Zealand is increasingly being used
as a port for methamphetamine trafficking.

However, cannabis remains the No 1 illicit drug used by Kiwis - and
the most used drug worldwide - though its popularity is falling, in
line with global trends.

The Drug Foundation said it was possible young drug users were opting
for faster paced drugs, such as ecstasy and party pills, over marijuana.

Executive director Ross Bell said party pills - which are not included
in the United Nations report as they are seen largely as a New Zealand
phenomenon - may have a "gateway" effect, enticing users to other drugs.

Mr Bell believed the drop in methamphetamine use was the result of
stricter laws - 'P' became a class A drug in 2003 - tougher border
security and greater awareness of the drug's dangers.

The Health Ministry said the methamphetamine drop was positive but it
remained more concerned about frequent users who were experiencing
more health, financial and legal problems due to their use, compared
with the previous two years.

But Detective Sergeant Paul Tricklebank, of the national drug
intelligence bureau, said there was no evidence of a decrease in
methamphetamine, or other drugs. "All the surveys are indicating
there's still a huge problem out there."

The report also showed trafficking of amphetamines through New Zealand
increased by more than 10 per cent in 2006. New Zealand was used as a
midway point between Asia and United States, it said.

The UN report says about 208 million people, or nearly 5 per cent of
the world's population, aged 15 to 64, have used drugs at least once
in the past 12 months, which is in line with the previous four years.

Problem drug use remained at around 0.6 per cent of the global
population.

Mr Bell said New Zealand's increased rate of cocaine use reflected a
European trend.