NCJ Number
133885
Date Published
1990
Length
40 pages
Annotation
This document is designed to facilitate a broader view of the latest available drug-related data by describing, evaluating, and interpreting leading indicators of the drug problem.
Abstract
The National Household Survey is a comprehensive indicator that measures that prevalence of drug use by the household population age 12 years and older. According to the 1988 survey, 37 percent had used illicit drugs one or more times in their lives and about 7 percent were current users. The Drug Abuse Warning Network monitors the number and pattern of drug-related health emergencies and drug-related deaths in major metropolitan areas. In 1985, participating hospitals reported 10,248 cocaine-related emergency room cases. This figure rose dramatically over the next 3 years and then reached a plateau. In the last 3 months of 1989, emergency room mentions for cocaine dropped a dramatic 22 percent from the prior quarter. The Drug Use Forecasting program uses urinalysis to test arrestees for drugs in selected major cities. In 1989, 56 to 82 percent of male arrestees volunteering for the program tested positive for at least one drug. Cocaine was the most prevalent drug used by males and females arrested for serious crimes. The High School Senior Drug Abuse Survey includes a national sample of over 130 public and private high schools. This survey showed that reported use of any illegal drug in the past 30 days decreased from 21.3 percent in 1988 to 19.7 percent in 1989. Price and purity indicators for illicit drugs provide data on the availability of drugs. The National Crime Survey and Uniform Crime Reports provide data on reported index crimes, arrests, and drug violations. The International Narcotics Strategy Report of the Department of State gauges the effectiveness of counterdrug efforts among the world's major drug-producing and transit countries. The National Narcotics Intelligence Consumers Committee Report compiles facts and figures on worldwide drug production, eradication, seizures, and trends in U.S. drug consumption. 15 illustrations