Cocaine use in New Zealand has reached a record high, overtaking MDMA consumption for the first time, according to newly released wastewater testing data from police.
The figures, published on Monday, reveal a sharp rise in cocaine use during the final quarter of 2025. On average, an estimated 9.4 kilograms of cocaine was consumed each week nationwide, an increase of 98% compared to the previous four quarters. Every police district recorded higher-than-usual levels of cocaine use during this period, as reported by 1News.
Methamphetamine use also rose, averaging 34.7 kilograms per week, which is about 8% higher than earlier figures.
According to a report by 1News, the findings have raised concerns among drug policy experts. NZ Drug Foundation executive director Sarah Helm said the latest data highlights significant issues with the country’s current approach to drug use.
"The dramatic increases in methamphetamine and cocaine consumption over the last two years are unprecedented," she said.
"A long-term under-investment in treatment and harm reduction, coupled with an over-reliance on supply side measures hasn’t worked. Consumption is at record levels, drug use is diversifying, prices are down, harm is increasing, and new potent drugs are arriving," 1News has quoted.
Helm warned that the data signals an urgent need for reform, despite acknowledging recent government efforts to address substance harm.
"If we could wave a magic wand, we would do two things: Vastly increase the spending on addiction treatment and harm reduction, and change our drug laws," she said, 1News has quoted.
"While these things won’t remove all problems, the evidence is clear that it would reduce the worst harms and provide us with more tools to tackle the increase in harm. But if we continue doing more of the same, things will continue to get worse," as quoted by 1News.
Regionally, cocaine use per person was highest in the Bay of Plenty police district, while methamphetamine use was most prevalent in Northland. The Southern district recorded the highest levels of MDMA consumption.
The data is based on wastewater testing conducted one week each month across multiple sites, covering up to 77% of the population since nationwide monitoring began in November 2018.
Authorities have also reported a series of major cocaine seizures in late 2025. Nearly 180 kilograms were intercepted by Customs between October and December, including large quantities discovered at the Port of Tauranga, Port Chalmers in Dunedin, and in Auckland, 1News has reported.
Several shipments were concealed in shipping containers carrying legitimate goods, with drug packages marked by various brandings such as Lacoste, Volvo, Porsche, and even a crowned hamster image.
In response to the growing drug trade, the Government last year launched maritime operations involving Customs, the New Zealand Defence Force, and the Government Communications Security Bureau. The initiative aims to detect and disrupt drug shipments moving from Central and South America into New Zealand and the wider Pacific region, as reported by 1News.