Trends in Drug Usage in Los Angeles County, 1981-1987

• NCJ Number: 114353
• Author(s): M D Lynes; E L Chandler; D McAllister; I H Strantz
• Date Published: 1988
• Length: 24 pages
• Corporate Author: Los Angeles Cty
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

Trends in drug abuse in the Los Angeles area were examined using 1981 to 1987 data on drug-induced deaths, emergency room admissions, and treatment admissions.

Abstract

Cocaine continues to be the fastest growing drug problem. All three indicators showed continuing increases over the study period, with the largest increases being in 1985-1986. Indicators for heroin use showed decreases for 1983-1984. All three indicators had their highest absolute numbers in 1986, and both heroin-related deaths and emergency room admissions showed their highest increases in the 1985-1986 transition. There was some indication of a decrease in heroin use in 1987. While the patterns of increases and decreases in indicators for phencyclidine use were not as consistent as those for heroin and cocaine, abuse appears to have peaked in 1983 and inconsistently decreased since then. For all three drugs, the three indicators showed substantial consistency and agreement over time. Cocaine is the primary drug of abuse in the area, moving above heroin in both drug deaths and emergency room admissions in 1984. Heroin continues to be the primary drug of abuse of clients in treatment. The treatment admission data are somewhat misleading because of the inclusions of certain treatment modalities (methadone maintenance and outpatient methadone detoxification) that result in high admission rates for heroin abuse. 9 tables and 5 references.