There are concerns overseas opioid abuse trends are taking hold here.  

The Drug Detection Agency's data for the three months to September finds opioids showed up in 18% of positive tests. 

It warns opioid detections are stabilising at this high level, while some regions like Gisborne recorded a sharp increase of 41%. 

CEO Glenn Dobson told Mike Hosking the test results are a good oversight of what’s happening in our society in relation to the supply of drugs.  

He says there's more of those drugs being sold illicitly globally, so it could be picking up here too. 

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