Latest analysis from the New Zealand Mental Health Survey by Dr Elisabeth Wells from the University of Otago Christchurch, clarifies ethnic differences in drug and alcohol use and disorder in NZ.

The survey carried out face-to-face interviews with 12,992 New Zealanders on a range of behaviours and conditions relating to mental health. It is part of the World Mental Health Survey Initiative which enables comparisons with other surveys in the consortium. New Zealand data was incorporated in a recently released report in the Lancet on the use of mental health services in 17 countries.

Key findings on NZ alcohol use in the past 12 months and ethnicity:

• Māori (82 per cent) and Others (80 per cent) are more likely to be drinkers than Pacific Islanders (56 per cent)
• Māori also have a higher prevalence of hazardous drinking and alcohol disorder.
• Among those who consume alcohol, hazardous drinking occurs in 36 per cent of Māori, 33 per cent of Pacific people and 23 per cent of others
• Among those who consume alcohol, alcohol disorder prevalence is 6 per cent for Māori, 4 per cent for Pacific and 3 per cent for others.

Key findings on NZ drug use in the past 12 months and ethnicity:

• Drug use occurs in 20 per cent of Māori, 13 per cent of Others and 9 per cent of Pacific people
• Drug disorder is most common in Māori at 13 per cent of users, followed by Pacific Islanders at 10 per cent and Others on 9 per cent.
• Pacific people are often protected from substance use by abstinence, but are at greater risk than Others if they do use drugs.
• Treatment contact for substance use disorder:
• Treatment contact is low in those with a substance disorder: 4 per cent for Pacific, 12 per cent for Māori and 14 per cent for Others.