COCAINE IS DRUG OF CHOICE AMONG ALBUQUERQUE ARRESTEES

Washington, D.C. - Sixty-four percent of adult male arrestees and 74 percent of adult female arrestees in Albuquerque tested positive for at least one type of drug, according to research findings released today by the Justice Department's National Institute of Justice (NIJ). The report, Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) Program; 1999 Annual Report on Adult and Juvenile Arrestees, also found that both males and females were most likely to use cocaine (43 percent of males and 56 percent of females), followed by marijuana (37 percent of males and 24 percent of females).

"ADAM assists both law enforcement officials and drug treatment providers as they work together to break the cycle of drug use and crime," said NIJ Acting Director Julie Samuels. "Data collected under the ADAM program highlight the complex nature of the drug abuse problem and the need for communities to target law enforcement and treatment interventions appropriately."

In Albuquerque, the findings are based on interview and urinalysis data from 529 adult male and 180 adult female arrestees. In 1999, ADAM collected data from more than 30,000 adult male arrestees in 34 reporting sites and from more than 10,000 adult female arrestees in 32 sites.

ADAM is an NIJ research program that provides program planning and policy information on drug use and other characteristics of arrestees in 35 U.S. cities through quarterly interviews of adult and juvenile arrestees in holding facilities. ADAM data consists of information reported to interviewers by arrestees regarding their drug use and urinalysis results. It is one of the only major national drug studies that utilizes drug testing.

Copies of the 1999 ADAM Annual report are available on the World Wide Web at www.ojp.usdoj.gov/nij or from the National Criminal Justice Reference Service (NCJRS) by calling toll-free, 1-800/851-3420. The Annual Report features a section on each city in the 1999 program. Media should contact the Office of Justice Programs' Office of Congressional and Public Affairs at 202/307-0703.

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NIJ00167

After hours contact: Doug Johnson, (pager)

ADAM Contact in Albuquerque: Paul Geurin, 505/277-6894