The latest study into New Zealand’s drug use has found the number of users buying and selling online has skyrocketed.
The Illicit Drug Monitoring System study, which is based on 2014 data, shows 72 percent of frequent drug users in New Zealand buy or sell using social media or encrypted websites.
It also found that methamphetamine use is on the rise.
The number of people who say they can get meth within an hour has jumped from 51 percent in 2011 to 76 percent in 2014.
Massey University’s senior drug researcher Dr Chris Wilkins joined Paul Henry to talk about the findings.
Dr Wilkins says one of the factors causing the rise in meth usage is the Christchurch rebuild, because there are more young men earning good money in the city.
"Gangs seem to be very involved in Christchurch to meet that increased demand."
He says there is also evidence of a cannabis drought, as the number of people who say it’s “very easy” to get cannabis dropped from 62 per cent in 2013 to 45 percent in 2014.
