NZ Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring Project Annual Report

New Zealand Police National News Release

20 March 2008

The NZ Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (NZADAM) 2007 annual report is available on the Police website

NZADAM measures the drug and alcohol use among people who have been recently apprehended by Police (for any reasons, not just drug specific reasons).

The monitoring project began in 2005 and has completed its second year of research in four police watch houses, Whangarei, Henderson, Hamilton and Dunedin.

NZADAM is managed by Police who fund the project. Police contract Health Outcomes International who interview arrestees and analyse the data.

Assistant Commissioner Grant Nicholls says the 2007 NZADAM report collects data about a core group of people who have significant issues with drug use and are coming into regular contact with Police.

"Over two thirds of the participants have previously been arrested during the preceding 12 months and nearly half were using at least one drug at the time of their arrest."

The data being collected is used by Police and The National Drugs Intelligence Bureau in a wide range of analysis.

Mr Nicholls says the data collected will help police devise strategies for policing drugs in their communities. The data is also used by other agencies to assist them in finding ways of reducing demand.

"While this is the second year of data collection, it is too soon to be able to track any sort of trend or make valid comparisons." Mr Nicholls said.

Police have funded the programme to continue through to 2010.

All detainees volunteer to take part in the study and their information is confidential.

The full report is available at: http://www.police.govt.nz/resources/2008/nzadam-annual-report/

ENDS

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