NCJ Number
158620
Date Published
1995
Length
37 pages
Annotation
Based on quarterly conversations with police, ethnographers, and epidemiologists working in the drug field, as well as providers of drug treatment services across the Nation, this report presents an up-to-date picture of what is happening in the use of illegal drugs.
Abstract
Findings show that the distribution of heroin and cocaine by the same dealers and in the same markets appears in more areas than ever before, adding to evidence that new heroin source areas and new distribution networks have emerged. Heroin use is reported to be increasing in most areas. Although the majority of users are still reported to be older, established ones, the ethnographers in many areas report increased use among younger, suburban users. These new users are more likely to inhale than to inject the drug. Cocaine and crack use continue to level off and are reported to have stabilized in most areas. Marijuana use continues to increase in all areas, particularly among teens and young adults. "Club drugs" like Ketamine, MDMA, and LSD remain popular among middle- and upper-income youth. Methamphetamine use appears to be spreading beyond the Western and Southwestern regions of the Nation into urban areas of the Northwest, the South, and the Mid-Atlantic area. 9 tables