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Pulse Check: Trends in Drug Abuse November 2001

Appendix 5: Discussion Areas by Source Type*

Topic
L
E
M
N
SNAPSHOT
How serious is the current illegal drug problem in your community? Check Check Check Check
How has the illegal drug problem changed in your community? Check Check Check Check
THE PERCEPTION        
What is the most commonly abused drug in your community during the current reporting period?
Second most commonly abused drug? What drug is related to the most serious consequences?
Second most serious consequences? Is any new problem drug appearing in your community?		 Check Check Check Check
What was the most commonly abused drug in you community during the last reporting period?
Second most commonly abused drug in your community? What drug was related to the most serious consequences last reporting period? Second most serious consequences?		 Check Check Check Check
THE DRUG**
How available is the drug in your community (for each drug, asks about various forms)? Check Check    
How has availability changed? Check Check    
What are the most common and second most common units of sale and corresponding standard units of the drug? Check Check    
What is the purity range for the drug during the current reporting period? During the last reporting period? Check Check    
What is the price range during the current reporting period? During the last reporting period? Check Check    
What is the source for your price and purity information? Check Check    
Why have price and purity changed or why have they remained stable? Check Check    
What are the street names, and are any of these new this reporting period? Check Check Check Check
What types of packaging are used, and are any of these new this reporting period? Check Check    
Are labels or brand names used? If yes, please list and indicate if any are new this reporting period. Check Check    
Are there any adulterants? If yes, please list and indicate if any are new this reporting period. Check Check Check Check
Have there been any changes in street names, packaging, labels, or adulterants since the last reporting period? If yes, please describe. Check Check    
THE SALE**
How is the drug manufactured, processed, or grown? Check Check    
What is the source country or point of origin? Check Check    
What are the transshipment cities? Check Check    
What is the point of entry? Check Check    
What is the final destination city or region? Check Check    
Have there been any changes in manufacturing process or trafficking since the last reporting period? If yes, please describe. Check Check    
What is the predominant affiliation of local, street-level sellers? Check Check    
How likely are sellers to use their own drugs? Check Check    
How involved in other crimes are sellers? Check Check    
In what type of other crimes are sellers involved? Check Check    
Have there been any changes in seller characteristics since the last reporting period? If yes, please describe. Check Check    
Are there any new sellers groups this reporting period? If yes, please describe. Check Check    
What is the geographical area where most street-level sales of the drug occur? Check Check    
Is the drug sold mostly indoors, outdoors, or evenly split between both? Check Check    
In what settings is the drug sold? Check Check    
How is the drug sold? Check Check    
Are other drugs sold by this type of dealer? If yes, please list the drugs. Check Check    
Have any of the drugs sold with this drug changed since the last reporting period? If yes, please describe. Check Check    
What are any other distinctive features of the drug scene in your area? Check Check    
Have any of the drug scene characteristics changed since the last reporting period? If yes, please describe. Check Check    

THE USERS: Predominant characteristics**

L E M N
What is the predominant age range of the drug users?   Check Check Check
What is the predominant gender?   Check Check Check
What is the predominant racial/ethnic group? Is this group underrepresented, overrepresented, or about equal compared with the general population in your area?   Check Check Check
What is the predominant socioeconomic position?   Check Check Check
What is the most common geographical residence?   Check Check Check
What is the predominant route of administration?   Check Check Check
What are the drugs commonly taken in combination with this drug, including any street names for the combination or practice?
Is the drug used mostly indoors or outdoors?		   Check Check Check
Is the drug used mostly in public or in private?   Check Check Check
Is the drug used mostly alone or in groups/among friends?   Check Check Check
What are the common settings for the use of this drug?   Check Check Check
What are the unusual settings or contexts for the use of this drug?   Check Check Check
What is the most common referral source?     Check Check
What is the predominant education level?     Check Check
What is the most common frequency of use?     Check Check
What is the predominant employment status?     Check Check
THE USERS: New or emerging users**
How did the number of new or emerging users change since the last reporting period? If increased, repeat the first 12 questions under "the users: predominant characteristics" for the new/emerging user group.   Check    
How did the number of novice users in your program change since the last reporting period? If increased, repeat all questions under "the users: predominant characteristics" for the novice user group.     Check Check
METHADONE DIVERSION/TREATMENT
To what extent is there a methadone diversion problem from treatment programs in your community? Check      
How has the diversion problem changed since the last reporting period? Check      
Is illegal methadone transported into your community from other areas? Check      
Who has been selling diverted methadone? Check      
How is it sold? Check      
Who has been buying diverted methadone? Check      
What is the availability of methadone treatment in your community?   Check    
How has treatment availability changed since the last reporting period?   Check    
What is the capacity of public methadone treatment? Private methadone treatment?   Check    
How has the capacity of public methadone treatment changed since the last reporting period? Private methadone treatment?   Check    
COMMUNITY CONTEXTS
Were there substantial changes or issues involving (treatment availability or waiting time, drug-related hospital medical emergencies, drug-related deaths, large drug seizures, targeted law enforcement policy directives or initiatives, community policing, new sentencing practices, new joint task forces, new legislation, new community education or prevention programs, new public service campaigns, drug-related news events, other)? If yes, please describe. Check Check    
How did medical, political, criminal, or societal changes or issues (listed above) impact your community''s overall drug abuse problem? Check Check    
Have drug-related consequences (HIV/AIDS, hepatitis C, liver cirrhosis, drug-related automobile accidents, high-risk pregnancy, drug overdoses, alcohol DTs, tuberculosis, other) increased, decreased, or remained stable since the last reporting period? If changed, explain.     Check Check
Have any of the psychiatric comorbidity diagnoses (conduct disorder, psychosis, mood disorders, suicidal thoughts/attempts, other) increased, decreased, or remained stable as a concern among your clients since last reporting period? If changed, explain.     Check Check
Do any potential barriers (limited slot capacity, lack of trained staff to treat comorbid clients, violent behavior among presenting clients, age restrictions, other) prevent your program from serving all individuals who seek treatment? If yes, explain.     Check Check
Have any factors (law enforcement referral patterns, waiting lists, treatment funding slot capacity, access to treatment at other local programs, program outreach, media attention, availability, purity, overdoses just prior to treatment, withdrawal just prior to treatment, adulterants, route of administration, other drugs used concurrently, other drugs used by clients, other) contributed to increases or decreases in your program''s number of admissions related to any specific drug? If yes, describe.     Check Check
Have any legal issues (nonviolent offenses, violent offenses, gang-related activity, prostitution, drug-assisted rape, domestic violence, DUI/DWI, other) increased or decreased as concerns among your clients since the last reporting period? If yes, describe.     Check Check
TREATMENT BACKGROUND
What is your program’s maximum capacity?     Check Check
What is your current enrollment?     Check Check
Does your program’s clientele reflect the population of your local community? If no, please describe.     Check Check
SPECIAL TOPIC: SYNTHETIC OPIOIDS        
All the above topics in "the drug," "the sale," and "the users: predominant characteristics" section were discussed about diverted/abused synthetic opioids (specify). In addition, the following topics were discussed: Check Check Check Check
How serious is the problem in your community? Check Check Check Check
How has the problem in your community changed since the last reporting period? Check Check    
What are the sources of illicit distribution of the drug? Check Check    
Are there a substantial number of impaired health care professionals using the drug in your community? If yes, explain.   Check Check Check
Is the drug continually on the illicit drug market or does it emerge periodically? Check Check    
Is there prevalence for opioid-naive adolescents in your community? If yes, explain.   Check    
Are highly tolerant or experienced opioid abusers using? If yes, explain.   Check Check Check
Is the drug used to replace heroin, used with heroin, or is its use not associated with heroin use?   Check Check Check
Is the user population in your community new this reporting period?   Check Check Check
In your opinion, has the media overemphasized, underplayed, or reflected accurately the problem in your community? Check Check Check Check
Have there been any related health consequences, comorbidity/dual diagnoses, barriers to treatment, or legal issues related to the drug’s abuse?     Check Check

LLaw enforcement
EEpidemiologic/ethnographic
MMethadone treatment
NNon-methadone treatment
*Please note that for the methadone and non-methadone treatment interviews, "community" was replaced with "program."
**Respondents were asked about heroin, crack cocaine, powder cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, ecstasy, GHB, ketamine, Rohypnol, hallucinogens (specify), and any other drugs (specify) for each of the discussion areas.







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Last Updated: March 4, 2002