NCJ Number
185558
Date Published
April 1991
Length
12 pages
Annotation
During the second quarter of 1990, 22 Drug Use Forecasting sites collected data from male booked arrestees; 20 of those sites also collected data from female booked arrestees, to assess the percent positive for drug use and drug use trends among arrestees.
Abstract
The percent positive for overall drug use among males ranged from 46 percent in Detroit to 80 percent in San Diego. The percent positive for overall drug use among females ranged from 36 percent in San Antonio to 83 percent in San Diego. In the majority of sites, cocaine remained the drug most often detected among both male and female booked arrestees. The percent of juvenile male arrestees testing positive for drugs at the time of arrest ranged from 8 percent in San Jose to 37 percent in Los Angeles. Cocaine use among arrestees in the District of Columbia increased dramatically. Arrestees who tested positive for opiates were most likely to report a need for drug treatment. Self-reported need for drug treatment varied greatly among the 16 sites testing both male and female arrestees. The need for drug treatment also varied by age, with male and female arrestees between 15 and 20 years of age the least likely to report a need for drug treatment. Five percent or more of all arrestees reported receiving some illegal income, and arrestees who reported spending money on their drug use were more likely to test positive for drugs. 2 tables and 12 figures