Small town New Zealand is consuming more alcohol than the big cities. 

New Auckland University wastewater analysis has found New Zealanders over 15 years are having 1.2 standard drinks per day on average, below the WHO's 2018 estimate. 

South Islanders are consuming more than North Islanders, and towns have higher average consumption than cities. 

Researcher Lisa Pilkington told Mike Hosking that increased drug use may be affecting alcohol consumption. 

She says it would take long-term trends to see if illicit drugs are tracking higher and alcohol is lower. 

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