More meth addicts seek treatment

The proportion of addicts seeking help to kick a meth drug habit continues to rise, a Waitemata¯ District Health Board report shows.

About 7 per cent of patients sought help for methamphetamine dependence in 2016 – up from 5 per cent in 2013, data from Community Drug and Alcohol Services (CADS) revealed.

And the proportion of those being treated for abusing methamphetamine had doubled from about 2 per cent in 2013 to 4 per cent in 2016.

Massey University drugs researcher Steve Randerson said there was a number of possible causes for meth addicts to be seeking treatment.

‘‘If people are more aware of treatment services, they might seek more help,’’ Randerson said.

‘‘But there have also been recent papers from

‘‘If people are more aware of treatment services, they might seek more help’’

our centre showing slight increases in the availability of methamphetamine as well.

‘‘It’s possible more people are accessing it and therefore more people are needing help.’’

Research had also found the cost of methamphetamine per gram to be decreasing, he said.

‘‘Lower costs can contribute. It makes it easier for people to access.’’

A Waitemata¯ DHB spokesperson said the data related to patients seeking help for methamphetamine addictions showed a ‘‘marked increase – a departure from the steady decline observed over the past decade’’. Reports from the National Drug Intelligence Bureau and studies from Massey University showed that availability and a shift in patterns had seen an increase in people seeking help for their methamphetamine addictions, the DHB said.

However, the statistics of those seeking help did not relate to the number of people still using the drug in the community, it said.

Alcohol abuse and dependence were the biggest issues CADS patients struggled with, although numbers were on the decline.

In 2013, almost 35 per cent of clients were seeking help for alcohol abuse but it had dropped to 31 per cent in 2016.

About 21 per cent were seeking help for alcohol dependence in 2016, down from about 24 per cent in 2013.

After alcohol dependence and abuse, opioid dependence was the next highest addiction patients were seeking help for.

‘‘Opioid dependence maintains a steady presence due to the overall stable number of clients engaged in the CADS Auckland Opioid Treatment Service,’’ the DHB spokesperson said.