NCJ Number
184611
Journal
National Institute of Justice Journal Issue: 227 Dated: November 1993 Pages: 32-34
Date Published
November 1993
Length
3 pages
Annotation
The Drug Use Forecasting (DUF) program in 1992 continued its quarterly measurement of illicit drug use among persons arrested for criminal behavior and collected data from male arrestees in all 24 sties, from female arrestees in 21 sites, and from male juvenile detainees age 9-18 years in 12 sites.
Abstract
The program obtained data for 14 consecutive evenings each quarter at booking facilities. Ninety percent of the approached arrestees agreed to reply anonymously to interview questions; 80 percent of the interviewees also volunteered to provide an anonymous urine sample. The use of any drug by male arrestees ranged from 47 percent to 78 percent and for female arrestees ranged from 44 percent to 85 percent. Cocaine has remained the most prevalent drug since 1988. Marijuana use began to rise in 1992 after a generally steady decline previously. Heroin use remained lower among arrestees than did use of cocaine or marijuana. Juvenile detainees who were not in school tested positive at higher rates than those in school. The DUF program had an essential role in helping criminal justice officials and policymakers understand the extent of the country’s drug problem. Table