A set-up for drug testing at a festival (file photo). Photo: Know Your Own Stuff / Supplied
The NZ Drug Foundation has seen a surge in use of their substance checking services, with a 51 percent increase on the year before.
It tested 2602 samples at 98 clinics in 2023 and its latest drug checking report found nearly one in five drugs checked were different to what people thought they had.
Executive director Sarah Helm said those stats showed how crucial their service was.
"We don't just tell people what's in their drugs. We have a confidential harm reduction conversation with every person who walks through the door about ways to stay safer.
"For some people it's the first time they've been able to have an honest conversation about their drug use."
Helm said drug checking providers had identified several dangerous substances sold as other drugs recently.
She said these included powerful synthetic opioids called nitazenes, novel benzodiazepines, synthetic cathinones, and non-psychoactive industrial chemicals like cyclohexanamine.
"The global drug market is becoming more and more volatile. We're seeing some concerning substances in circulation, so we really encourage everyone to get their drugs checked."
Helm said the growth of the service was down to staff working hard to build trust among a more diverse range of people who used drugs.
The report showed 8.5 percent of samples contained a completely different drug to what the person expected, and 6.5 percent contained the drug the person expected plus one or more other psychoactive or hazardous substances.
