NCJ Number
221708
Date Published
2008
Length
16 pages
Annotation
This report presents data on substances analyzed by State and local laboratories from January 2007 through June 2007, including national and regional estimates for the most frequently identified drugs.
Abstract
An estimated 975,314 drug items were analyzed by State and local laboratories in the United States from January 1, 2007, through June 30, 2007. They were identified in an estimated 616,140 distinct cases. Cocaine was the most frequently identified drug, followed by cannabis/THC, methamphetamine, and heroin. These four drugs accounted for 79 percent of all analyzed drug items. There was an 8-percent increase in the total number of drug items analyzed by State and local laboratories from the first half of 2001 through the first half of 2007. Regionally, cocaine was the most frequently identified drug in the South (41 percent) and Northeast (34 percent); cannabis/THC was the most frequently identified drug in the Midwest (49 percent); and methamphetamine was the most frequently identified drug in the West (34 percent). From the first half of 2001 to the first half of 2007, methamphetamine reporting increased significantly in the Northeast and South; however, heroin significantly decreased in these regions during this period. In the Northeast, cocaine also increased significantly between January 2001 and June 2007. Nationally, hydrocodone, oxycodone, and alprazolam increased significantly from January 2001 to June 2007. MDMA showed a significant increase from January 2003 to June 2007. Just over two-thirds of identified narcotic analgesics were hydrocodone or oxycodone. Alprazolam accounted for 66 percent of identified benzodiazepines, and MDMA accounted for just over 8 out of 10 identified club drugs. Data were obtained from the National Forensic Laboratory Information System (NFLIS), which systematically collects results from drug analyses conducted by State and local forensic laboratories. NFLIS includes 42 State systems, 92 local or municipal laboratories, and 1 territorial laboratory. In addition, the NFLIS includes Federal data from the Drug Enforcement Administration's System. Figures and tables and a list of participating and reporting forensic laboratories