NCJ Number
153826
Date Published
1995
Length
36 pages
Annotation
Based on telephone conversations in January and February 1995 with drug ethnographers and epidemiologists, law enforcement agents, and drug treatment providers all over the country, this report provides a blend of information and perspectives on the state of drug abuse in America.
Abstract
This review of trends in drug use focuses on heroin, cocaine, and marijuana, as well as other drugs/emerging drugs. Findings show that the prevalence of high-purity heroin continues to be the major story in many areas of the country. Older heroin users still dominate markets in all areas, although as reported last quarter, in some areas there are reports of increasing numbers of young users (under 30 years old), as well as of users not traditionally seen in inner-city areas. The availability of crack and cocaine in powdered form is reported as uniformly high across the country, although half of the ethnographers reported that its use is stabilizing. New York sources report a "scrape and snort" phenomenon, in which large pieces of crack are purchased and shared by scraping off small powdery amounts for snorting. Cocaine still presents a major treatment problem in all regions. Marijuana availability is reported to be high everywhere except in Miami. The typical marijuana users in all locations were young (under 25 years old) and represented all ethnicities. Reporters in Texas, Florida, and New Jersey also noticed an increasing number of middle-class youths using marijuana. Regarding other emerging drugs, several sources reported an increased prevalence of a variety of prescription drugs on the illicit market, including Doriden and Tylenol-4, Elavil, Clonidine, Diluadid, Rohypnol, and methamphetamine. 9 tables