Today the 2023 Drug Harm Index, produced by the National Drug Intelligence Bureau (NDIB) has been published on the Ministry of Health website.
NDIB is a multi-agency intelligence unit involving Ministry of Health, New Zealand Customs Service and New Zealand Police.
The Drug Harm Index, produced approximately every four years, quantifies the illicit substance use harm experienced by individuals and communities as a cost. The figures used in the report are conservative estimates and the real cost of drug harm is likely to be higher.
The Index includes measures for the cost of personal harm due to:
- premature death and loss of quality of life
- cost of harm to family and friends
- cost of crime which funds drug purchases
- economic harm through funds reinvested into other crime and a reduced tax base.
Key findings (in comparison to the 2020 report):
- the total cost of drug harm in New Zealand has increased from $1.904 billion to $1.941 billion (1.95% increase)
- harm per kilo of cocaine has increased 24%. Total harm from cocaine has increased from approx. $7.7 million to $15.3 million
- harm per kilo of methamphetamine has decreased by 5.7% (from $1,108 million to $1,048 million). Total harm from methamphetamine has increased by 5% (from $823 million to $864 million). This result should be treated with caution as overall harm from methamphetamine is unlikely to have decreased. Harm experienced by methamphetamine may not always result in hospitalisation and will therefore not be captured by the data used in this report.
- total harm from MDMA has decreased by 23.8% (from $52.42 million to $39.9 million)
- total personal harm experienced from substances included in the report has increased from $813 million to $844.71 million (3.81% increase)
- total community harm experienced from substances included in the report has increased from $1,091 million to $1,096 million (0.45% increase).
The mental health and addiction targets announced last week will allow clearer monitoring of how the addiction system is performing, and also allow us to better identify where parts of the addiction system need more support and focus.
