NCJ Number
180551
Date Published
1998
Length
79 pages
Annotation
This summary of the 44th meeting of the Community Epidemiology Work Group (CEWG), which was held on June 23-26, 1998, in Boston, Mass., focuses on the 21 representatives' reports on current drug trends and patterns in 21 U.S. metropolitan areas.
Abstract
The CEWG is a network composed of researchers from major metropolitan areas of the United States and selected foreign countries; it meets semiannually to discuss the current epidemiology of drug abuse. After highlighting trends in overall drug use and summarizing regional and city trends, data are summarized for the use of specific drugs. These are cocaine and crack, heroin, opiates other than heroin, marijuana, stimulants, depressants, hallucinogens, and "other drugs." Trends in infectious diseases among injecting drug users are also reviewed. The report shows that in the 6 months since the last CEWG reporting period, heroin indicators have shown increases in many cities, in some cases overshadowing cocaine. Similarly, marijuana indicators have continued to escalate across the country. Cocaine indicators, however, have continued to level or decline, except for some isolated potentially emerging problems in Miami and Texas. Following some declines last year, methamphetamine indicators have increased in most western areas. "Club drugs" have continued to proliferate in the drug scene in several areas. Extensive tabular and graphic data