NCJ Number
204916
Journal
DEWS County Snapshot Volume: 2 Issue: 3 Dated: April 2003 Pages: 1-4
Date Published
April 2003
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This document discusses drug use trends in Harford County, MD, from 1998 to 2002.
Abstract
The most persistent problems continued to be alcohol and marijuana, but use of heroin and other opiates has increased from 1998 and 2002. About 7 out of 20 adult and juvenile treatment admissions identified alcohol as a drug of abuse in fiscal year 2002, while 37 percent identified marijuana. Over half of high school seniors reported current use of alcohol, and over a quarter reported current use of marijuana in 2001. More 10th graders admitted current and past-year use of marijuana than cigarettes; 12th graders admitted about equal lifetime use of marijuana and cigarettes. Overdose deaths were at a 4-year high in 2001. Most (20) of the deaths were narcotics-related, including 2 deaths related to methadone and 1 to oxycodone. Ecstasy was used to increase self-esteem and social status. A new method of use is crushing ecstasy pills and putting the powder on lollipops. About 7 percent of 12th graders reported current use of designer drugs, and more than 10 percent reported current use of other amphetamines. Data concerning the use of hallucinogens were mixed. Current use of LSD decreased from 11 percent in 1998 to just over 6 percent in 2001. Fifteen percent of juveniles admitted to treatment in fiscal year 2002 mentioned hallucinogens as a problem. Treatment admissions data revealed that heroin mentions by adults admitted to treatment increased by 69 percent between fiscal years 1998 and 2002. Nearly one-quarter of all adult and juvenile admissions to treatment reported cocaine/crack as a substance of abuse. List of treatment and prevention sources