NCJ Number
206739
Date Published
2004
Length
168 pages
Annotation
This report presents a comprehensive assessment of the drug threat to the United States posed by the trafficking and abuse of illicit drugs.
Abstract
Information was provided by over 3,300 State and local law enforcement agencies through the National Drug Intelligence Center's National Drug Threat Survey 2003. Data on the most prevalent drugs of abuse were analyzed in terms of availability, demand, production or cultivation, transportation, and distribution. A serious threat to the United States is posed by the trafficking and abuse of primarily cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, heroin, MDMA, and diverted pharmaceuticals, as well as other dangerous substances. Nationally, 37 percent of reporting agencies identified cocaine as their primary drug threat, followed by methamphetamine, (36.2 percent), marijuana (13.1 percent), heroin (8.7 percent), and MDMA (0.9 percent). Both powder and crack cocaine are readily available throughout the United States; overall availability appears to be stable. Cocaine was the drug most frequently identified as contributing to violent crime (50.1 percent) and property crime (42.0 percent). Demand for cocaine is high, especially among adult users of both powder and crack cocaine, and the primary market areas for cocaine have been identified as Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Miami, and New York. The threat posed by methamphetamine is high and increasing, particularly in the high demand areas of the Pacific, Southwest, and West Central regions. Domestic production of methamphetamine is down, with laboratory seizures lower overall during 2003 than 2002. Marijuana also poses a significant drug threat to the United States, with availability both high and stable. Marijuana has been consistently identified by law enforcement and public health agencies as the most commonly used illicit drug in the country. Heroin also poses a significant drug threat to the United States; availability is increasing, although the overall demand for heroin appears to be lower than for other drugs such as cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine. MDMA poses a moderate threat to the United States; the drug appears to be readily available throughout the country, although drug prevalence studies suggest that its demand is decreasing. Diverted pharmaceuticals pose an increasing threat to the United States. The demand and availability of drugs such as oxycodone and codeine are high and appear to be increasing. The threat of other dangerous drugs, inhalants, and money laundering are similarly reported. Figures, tables, appendix, sources