Methamphetamine use has decreased in Ashburton by more than 80%, following a gang crackdown last year.
Wastewater testing data obtained through the Official Information Act shows the use of meth dropped from 579mg a day per 1000 people in July down to 91mg in September and 114mg in November last year.
MDMA use in Ashburton was also relatively low.
In 2022, Ashburton had the lowest average MDMA consumption per capita in Canterbury, despite the fact that MDMA spiked for a few months following Operation Mastiff.
Operation Mastiff was part of Operation Cobalt – a nationwide crackdown on illegal gang activity.
It involved more than 100 Canterbury officers and the armed offenders squad. They executed 29 search warrants in the Ashburton District in early September, arresting 18 people and laid more than 160 charges.
Police also seized drugs with a street value of $70,000, nearly $20,000 in cash and several weapons and imitation firearms.
Police intelligence fusion teams manager Julia Smith said meth use in Ashburton was relatively low and frequently below the national consumption rate, based on population.
She said meth use in Ashburton dropped with the Level 4 Covid lockdown in 2020, but increased slowly from May, 2020, to a peak in March last year.
“September saw a sharp decrease in methamphetamine consumption in Ashburton, which has remained very low since.”
Smith said it was likely that Operation Mastiff affected the availability of meth in Ashburton.
There was a decrease in meth use across New Zealand at the same time, but “to a lesser degree than seen in Ashburton”, she said.
Ashburton Community Alcohol and Drug Service public health promoter Andrea Gold said the service did not see a lot of referrals for the heavier or more challenging drugs – and there had not been a noticeable drop or increase in drug referrals.
About a third of all referrals were for alcohol addiction, which remained the largest problem in the district.
Cannabis referrals was the next highest and amounted to about a quarter of referrals, Gold said.

• By Sharon Davis