Drug Use Forecasting: Drugs and Crime Annual Report, 1990

• NCJ Number: 130063
• Author(s): C Visher; J A O'Neil; V Baldau
• Date Published: 1991
• Length: 24 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: US Dept of Justice NIJ Pub
• Corporate Author: National Institute of Justice (NIJ)
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/; NCJRS Photocopy Services
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: National Institute of Justice Research in Action

Annotation

The Drug Use Forecasting (DUF) program of the National Institute of Justice, initiated in 1987 and now including 24 cities, is designed to provide estimates of drug use among booked arrestees and information for detecting changes in drug use trends through quarterly collection and analysis of both urine specimens and self-reported data from arrestees.

Abstract

In 1990, 23 sites collected data from male booked arrestees, and 21 sites also obtained data from female booked arrestees. Additionally, 11 sites obtained data from male juvenile arrestees/detainees. The percentage of male booked arrestees testing positive for drugs at the time of arrest ranged from 30 percent in Omaha to 78 percent in San Diego. For female booked arrestees, the percent positive ranged from 39 percent in Indianapolis to 76 percent in Philadelphia. In 18 of the DUF sites, 50 percent or more of both males and females tested positive for drugs. The percentage of male arrestees testing positive for marijuana ranged from 4 percent in Atlanta to 42 percent in Portland, Oregon. Similarly, females in Atlanta recorded the lowest percentage of marijuana positives and Portland, the highest. As in 1988 and 1989, cocaine remained the prevalent drug among most arrestees. Cocaine use among males ranged from 10 percent in Omaha to 65 percent in New York City (Manhattan) and Philadelphia. The lowest cocaine use for females was found in Indianapolis, while the highest was in Atlanta. The highest level of opiate use among males was found in Chicago. The range of female arrestee opiate use varied from 1 percent in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to 24 percent in New York City. As in 1988 and 1989, amphetamine use was highest among arrestees in San Diego, 27 percent for males and 32 percent for females. For both male and female arrestees at all other DUF sites, less than 8 percent tested positive for amphetamines. Like amphetamine use, PCP use was limited to a few sites. The highest percent positive for males was found in Chicago and for females in San Jose, California. Less than 10 percent of arrestees in the remaining DUF sites were found positive for PCP. The percentage of male juvenile arrestees testing positive for drugs ranged from 10 percent in Kansas City to 31 percent in Los Angeles. Tables and figures