Illicit Drug Monitoring System (IDMS)

Publications

Illicit Drug Monitoring System (IDMS)

Date of publication: Nov 2005

The Illicit Drug Monitoring System (IDMS) is a new government-funded research programme that will be carried out annually to better understand trends in illicit drug use and associated harms.

The IDMS is modelled on similar types of drug surveillance and monitoring systems that operate overseas, which offer early warning of shifts in the markets for different drugs.

The IDMS results are built up from in-depth interviews with people who regularly use illicit drugs, as well as individuals with particular expertise or insight into drug related trends. The results of these interviews are compared with other indicators of drug use, such as seizure patterns, hospital data and information from drug treatment services.

The field research for the 2005 wave of the IDMS was carried out in five sites across the country (Whangarei, Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch) from April to August 2005. The research team was headed by Dr Chris Wilkins, from Massey University’s Centre for Social and Health Outcomes Research and Evaluation.

The 2005 study offers detailed findings on three main drug types:

cannabis
methamphetamine
hallucinogens (LSD and Ecstasy).

Document availability

The following IDMS-related publications are available in PDF format.

Key Findings from the 2005 IDMS (PDF, 130 KB)

Cannabis Research Briefing 2005 (PDF, 370 KB)

Hallucinogen Research Briefing 2005 (PDF, 311 KB)

Methamphetamine Research Briefing 2005 (PDF, 115 KB)

National Drug Policy New Zealand

Publications

Illicit Drug Monitoring System (IDMS)