Massey University professor Chris Wilkins, who leads the team that conducts the annual anonymous survey, said those reporting cocaine use were using it relatively infrequently – most commonly once or twice in the previous six months, though levels of weekly and monthly use had also increased.
That meant users were less likely to suffer from the worst impacts of sustained cocaine use, which could lead to the perception the drug was relatively risk-free, Wilkins said.
Combined with New Zealand being all but excluded from earlier peaks of global cocaine use such as during the 1980s, we risked being “a little naive” about the dangers of cocaine use, Wilkins said.
“Cocaine use in New Zealand is in the ‘honeymoon’ phase where use looks glamorous and consequence-free, people are yet to experience the serious addiction and social harm that is well-known in mature cocaine markets.
“We’ve missed that cultural memory of large levels of cocaine use and harm. The real risk here is that people have this kind of perception of cocaine as low harm, low risk, based on there’s no cultural history of really bad cocaine problems like you see in North America and Europe [where] there’s really a lot of evidence of high levels of addiction, some mental health problems, and longer term cardiovascular problems as well,” he said.
Massey University drug researcher Chris Wilkins. Photo / RNZ, Rebekah Parsons-King
Once adjusted for inflation, the price of cocaine in New Zealand had dropped by almost a third between 2017 and 2026 – from $368 a gram to $247.
Lower cost, greater availability and increased social acceptance had all led to increased use, Wilkins said.
The main reason reported by cocaine users for increasing use over the previous six months was “it’s fun/nice effect”, while expense was the top reason reported for using less or quitting in the past six months.
New supply routes via the Pacific and a glut on coca production in Central America had led to the lower prices, Wilkins said.
It was likely cocaine importation had piggybacked on new routes for methamphetamine from North and Central America via Mexican drug cartels but online sales on the dark web and social media were also contributing.
Wilkins said the cartel link increased the risk that New Zealand may be susceptible to increased amounts of opioids like fentanyl arriving through the same routes.
“If you look at the last wave of the opioid epidemic – the fourth wave in North America – that was characterised by fentanyl adulterating methamphetamine and cocaine, because essentially fentanyl is much cheaper from the drug trafficker’s point of view than providing cocaine and meth so they fill it out with fentanyl.”
He said there needed to be increased vigilance at the border and in drug testing for the arrival of fentanyl.
University of Auckland senior lecturer Dr Rhys Ponton said the survey findings supported trends from wastewater testing and samples presented at drug checking clinics.
There would be an inevitable further increase in use if prices continued to drop, he said.
“This shift in the market means healthcare professionals and services working with people who use drugs will need to adapt their advice and approaches to include cocaine,” Ponton said.
He urged a harm reduction approach, including expanding access to drug checking and encouraging its use.
Auckland University of Technology Law School professor Khylee Quince said the NZDTS data confirmed the perception that cocaine was somehow “safer” and “cleaner” than other illicit substances.
“This is likely to be connected to the heavy correlation between cocaine use and socio-economic advantage and status – which may of course also be a proxy for ethnicity, that cocaine is a white drug for white people.
“Cocaine users are likely to be employed and be high earners, so this perception is a form of confirmation bias – whereby people believe information that supports their views and behaviours – cocaine is ok, but meth is not.”
Quince said easier access and falling prices meant cocaine use among Māori had almost trebled in recent years, “illustrating a probable gap between the perception and reality of who is using cocaine in Aotearoa and in what context”.
University of Wellington associate professor Dr Fiona Hutton. Photo / RNZ, Mark Papalii
University of Wellington associate professor Dr Fiona Hutton said drug-testing service KnowYourStuffNZ had reported that cocaine made up 10% of everything tested during the 2025/26 season, up from 6% last year and 5% the previous year.
She warned against a “moral panic-type response”, and encouraged people to have illicit drugs tested, and to inform themselves about the drugs they used through sites such as the New Zealand Drug Foundation site, The Level.
Hutton said monitoring trends showed drugs and drug use fluctuated over time with new substances making their way on to the market or traditional drugs such as cocaine finding new popularity.
“Governments and policy makers should ensure those working with people who use drugs have the resourcing to support those who may have problems associated with cocaine (and other drug) use and to examine ways to effectively reduce harm, rather than focusing solely on supply side ‘war on drugs’ type responses that often cause more harm,” she said.
– RNZ