|
 This
fact sheet highlights information from the latest published proceedings
of NIDA’s Community Epidemiology Work Group (CEWG). The information
covers current and emerging trends in drug abuse for 21 major U.S. metropolitan
areas, as shared at CEWG's December 2001 meeting. The findings are intended
to alert the general public, policy makers, and authorities at the local,
State, regional, and national levels to the latest trends in drug abuse.*
The CEWG is a network of researchers from Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston,
Chicago, Denver, Detroit, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Miami, Minneapolis/St.
Paul, Newark, New Orleans, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, St. Louis,
San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Texas, and Washington, D.C.
CEWG members (epidemiologists and researchers) assess drug abuse patterns
and trends from the health and other drug abuse indicator sources below.
These data are enhanced with qualitative information from ethnographic
research, focus groups, and other community-based sources:
the Treatment Episode Data Set (data from treatment facilities) and the
Drug Abuse Warning Network (emergency room mentions and medical examiner
deaths involving illicit drugs), both funded by the Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration;
- the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring program, funded by the National
Institute of Justice;
- the System to Retrieve Information on Drug Evidence and other information
on drug seizures, price, and purity, from the Drug Enforcement Administration;
- drug seizure data from the United States Customs Service; and
- the Uniform Crime Reports, maintained by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Findings presented at the December 2001 CEWG meeting are based on comparisons
of 1999 and 2000 data from these sources. The findings also may be
supplemented by data from earlier periods and from the first half of
2001.
Cocaine/Crack
Although still at high levels, cocaine/crack indicators decreased in
10 CEWG sites, remained stable or mixed in 9, and increased in 2 (Atlanta
and Seattle). In 2000, rates of emergency room cocaine mentions were
higher than those for heroin/morphine in 16 sites, and were higher in
all CEWG sites than rates for marijuana and methamphetamine. Adult arrestees
were more likely to test positive for cocaine than opiates in 2000; in
the sites where both men and women were tested, women were more likely
to test positive for cocaine than marijuana. Year 2000 treatment admissions
indicated that crack accounted for a substantially greater percentage
of primary admissions than powder cocaine in all CEWG sites. However,
indicators suggest that crack use has decreased as powder cocaine has
become more available in Denver, Miami/South Florida, Phoenix, the Texas
border, and Washington, D.C.
Heroin
CEWG indicators for heroin/morphine abuse increased in 2000 in 15 CEWG
sites, remained stable in 2, and decreased in 4. The decreases were reported
in Honolulu, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle—areas where
Mexican black tar heroin is the primary type available. Boston, New York,
Newark, and Philadelphia report that heroin is relatively cheap, widely
available, and of high purity. In 2000, heroin/morphine emergency room
mentions were higher than those for cocaine in Baltimore, Newark, San
Diego, and San Francisco and higher than rates for marijuana and methamphetmine
in eight other CEWG sites. Heroin treatment admissions were especially
high in Baltimore (64.3 percent), Boston (69.1 percent), and Newark (83.8
percent), and were more than half of the primary illicit drug admissions
in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Among adult arrestees, particularly
high rates of opiate-positive tests occurred in Chicago, New York, and
Philadelphia. Heroin purity levels are highest east of the Mississippi,
where South American heroin dominates.
Misuse of Prescription Opiates
Indicators of the illicit use of prescription narcotics, particularly
oxycodone and hydrocodone, increased in all 14 of the CEWG sites that
report on these drugs. Emergency room mentions of oxycodone combinations
were highest in Philadelphia, Boston, and Phoenix. Mentions for hydrocodone
combinations were highest in Los Angeles and Detroit. Deaths involving
hydrocodone, oxycodone, or both were reported in Atlanta, Detroit, Miami,
Philadelphia, and Texas. Abuse of codeine (in pill and cough syrup forms)
was reported as a problem in six CEWG sites, particularly in Detroit.
Marijuana
Marijuana use indicators increased in 12 CEWG sites, remained stable
or mixed in 8, and decreased in 1 (Atlanta). Marijuana emergency room
mentions, arrests, and treatment admissions have been increasing. In
2000, emergency room mentions for marijuana increased significantly in
seven CEWG sites. In Minneapolis, 49 percent of treatment admissions
in 2000 were for primary abuse of marijuana; in Miami, New Orleans, St.
Louis, and Seattle, marijuana admissions ranged from 31 to 37 percent.
Among adult arrestees, the percentage of males testing marijuana-positive
were higher than those testing cocaine-positive in 13 CEWG sites.
Methamphetamine
Methampetamine use indicators increased in six of the seven CEWG areas
that typically have high rates of emergency room methamphetamine mentions
and/or high percentages of methamphetamine treatment admissions. These
are: Denver, Hawaii, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego, and Seattle. Increases
in indicators were also reported in Atlanta, Minneapolis/St. Paul, St.
Louis, and cities in Texas. San Francisco was the only CEWG site reporting
a decrease in methamphetamine indicators in 2000. Sites reporting increases
in methamphetamine availability and use, but still at low levels, were
New York, Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. Methamphetamine
treatment admissions were especially high in Hawaii (46.6 percent) and
San Diego (45.3 percent). Among adult arrestees in 2000, the highest
methamphetamine-positive rates were among men and women in Honolulu,
San Diego, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and Seattle. Availability of methamphetamine
decreased in Chicago and San Francisco. Purity levels were close to 100
percent in Honolulu and Phoenix.
MDMA
MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine; often called Ecstasy) indicators
increased in 19 CEWG sites in 2000 and remained stable in 2 (New Orleans
and Newark). Emergency room mentions increased significantly for MDMA
in 14 CEWG sites. Although still small, the number of persons being admitted
for treatment of primary MDMA abuse is increasing in Denver, Minneapolis/St.
Paul, and Texas. Deaths associated with MDMA were reported in seven CEWG
sites. Most MDMA pills are produced in Belgium and the Netherlands, but
there have been reports of attempts to establish clandestine MDMA labs
in CEWG sites such as Minneapolis, San Diego, and areas of Michigan and
South Florida.
Emerging Drugs: PCP
Although PCP indicators suggest abuse of this drug was not widespread
in 2000, there was evidence of increased abuse in some CEWG areas. Rates
of emergency room PCP mentions increased significantly between 1999 and
2000 in eight CEWG sites. Sites with the highest emergency room PCP mentions
were Chicago, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Seattle, and Washington, D.C.
Los Angeles reported 50 PCP-related deaths in 2000 and Philadelphia reported
22.
Treatment admissions for primary PCP abuse accounted for less than 1
percent of admissions in most CEWG sites, but did increase in Newark
and Los Angeles. Only small percentages of arrestees tested PCP-positive
in 2000, with the highest (4.8 percent) among adult male arrestees in
Houston. |
Aging & Substance Abuse
