MOST CRIMINALS USING DRUGS - POLICE STUDY

A police survey of more than 900 people arrested shows almost
three-quarters tested had at least one illegal drug in their system
at the time.

A one-year pilot study involved voluntary interviews of those
arrested in Whangarei, Henderson, Hamilton and Dunedin.

Interviewees provided 557 urine samples, of which 406 were found to
contain at least one illegal substance, figures obtained by the Herald show.

Cannabis - known to stay in the body in detectable amounts longer
than other drugs - was the most commonly detected illegal drug,
turning up in 68.6 per cent of samples. Methamphetamine was detected
in 12 per cent of samples. Alcohol was the most commonly used drug
around the time of an interviewee's arrest, appearing in 37.2 per
cent of cases.

The New Zealand Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring study - released early
to the Herald following an Official Information Act request - is the
first study of drug use among criminals.

It suggests New Zealanders tried drugs earlier than their Australian
counterparts. New Zealanders first try cannabis at age 13, compared
with 14 for Australians. New Zealanders are also likely to try heroin
earlier. Kiwi males are trying the drug at 16 and Australians at 19.

Australians, however, are sampling hallucinogens at age 15 and
methamphetamine-based drugs at 18 - earlier than Kiwis who try them
at age 16 and 19 respectively.

A total of 965 people were interviewed after being arrested for
offences including breaching bail (38.8 per cent), serious assault
(10.1 per cent) and theft (8.8 per cent).

Of the 775 who said they used cannabis, a fifth said they did "all or
most" of their driving under its influence. About a fifth (18.4 per
cent) of the 343 who admitted using methamphetamine did most their
driving while affected.

Cannabis and methamphetamine are used mostly by men, while 80 per
cent of methamphetamine users - of both sexes - were of Maori descent.

Both drugs - like most other drugs in the survey - were purchased
mainly from a private house or flat.

Acting police Assistant Commissioner for strategy and policy
performance Paula Rose said one concerning factor in the findings was
that those who admitted to being dependant on a drug (39 per cent),
were already the more vulnerable members of society.

"That group that say, 'hey, we are dependant', is a group of people
who don't live in their own homes, don't have reliable forms of
income, they're a group of people who don't appear to have much light
at the end of the tunnel and they're suffering adverse effects on
their lives as a result."

National Drug Intelligence Bureau co-ordinator Mick Alexander said
the study highlighted the need for earlier intervention and education
in schools.

The survey results are due to be officially released later today, and
police are considering including more centres in future studies.

The success of the study has seen its funding extended to 2010, at a
total cost of $1.2 million.