Trends In Drug Use
Part IV: Emerging Drugs
Methamphetamine, LSD and the benzodiazepine Rohypnol are the emerging drugs this quarter. PCP is also mentioned in Connecticut, Maryland, New York, and Washington, D.C.
Ethnographers and/or police in Los Angeles, Atlanta, El Paso, Denver, Newark, Trenton and D.C. mentioned problems associated with increased methamphetamine use. Some users are young, often middle income and use methamphetamine as part of a battery of "party drugs" which often include LSD, marijuana, Ketamine, and alcohol. Methamphetamine is available in powdered form and either injected or snorted like cocaine. While methamphetamine has been a serious problem in the West and Southwest for a number of years, its increasing availability from domestic laboratories and the abundant supply of the drug and/or its chemical precursors from Mexico, have encouraged markets outside those areas. In areas like New York, New Jersey, and Delaware methamphetamine use has in the past been confined to a small but dedicated group of older users, referred to as "bikers users" because of a frequent association with motorcycle clubs. In the past year, however, methamphetamine is reported as part of raves (all night dancing parties) and as part of a number of drugs used by college aged students.
Even in areas like Southern California, the popularity and availability of methamphetamine was still rising. Emergency room deaths in Los Angeles related to methamphetamine use have increased dramatically in the last year; and police sources in Los Angeles reported that the street-level price of methamphetamine has been dropping steadily as Mexican sources flood the market.
Hallucinogens continued to be popular among teens and young adults in New York, Denver, Newark, and Washington D.C. The popularity of hallucinogens is particularly high in suburban areas and among young adults active in "the club scene," i.e., those who frequent music clubs catering to young adults. Drugs such as MDMA, LSD, and ketamine ("Special K") may also be used as part of the "club scene" activity; and in Delaware, New York, Atlanta, and Chicago, heroin was mentioned as increasingly acceptable as one of the drugs used by this group. The Miami ethnographer noted that while LSD was popular among these young adults months ago, it has been replaced by MDMA and Rohypnol.
According to the Delaware ethnographer, LSD was still popular among teens and young adults in that area. LSD users there were reported to take two to five "hits" or doses at a time to achieve a drunken and highly hallucinogenic effect. They also were combining or sequencing LSD with MDMA ("candy flipping") to produce different effects over the course of an evening.
Police in the D.C. area reported that LSD is in limited supply in most parts of the district, but is plentiful in the surrounding suburban areas of Maryland and Virginia. It sells for approximately $5 a dose and is available in $100 units. D.C. police also reported the appearance of a new form of LSD paper, which is a variant on the more common blotter paper. The new "tape" on which doses of LSD are sold, is approximately 1/4 inch wide and twenty inches long; a single dose is contained on a 1/4 inch square of the tape. Maryland police noted that uncovering LSD dealers is particularly difficult due to the nature of the market. Since most transactions occur among young, suburban users known to each other, older police officers working undercover automatically appear suspicious.
PCP (phencyclidine), a drug whose use had been generally confined to the D.C. area for several years, is reported by ethnographers and police contacts in the Northeast this quarter. In New York, PCP has appeared in $10 units with brand name markings like "Crazy Eddie." In D.C., police report that New York, Canada, and California are sources of PCP to their area. Prices in the D.C. area are stable at $3-5/treated cigarette, $30-40/gram, $300-500/ounce and $350-500/ounce of treated marijuana.
Ketamine hydrochloride (Ketamine, Ketalar or "Special K") is a tranquilizer used in veterinary medicine chemically similar to phencyclidine. While there are some uses in humans as an anesthetic, inappropriate doses produce sedation and hallucinogenic effects. In large doses it can produce vomiting and convulsions. While it has been reported in New York for over two years, it is now reported as a "club drug" popular in New Jersey, Delaware, D.C., Florida and Georgia.
According to police and DEA sources, Ketamine is diverted to the illicit market from veterinary sources. It may be in liquid or powdered form, packaged in baggies or capsules for sale. While it is possible to inject Ketamine, it is generally snorted in a powdered form. Because of its appearance, Ketamine is often mistaken for cocaine or crystal methamphetamine. A "hit" or dose costs approximately $20.
Rohypnol, discussed in the last Pulse Check, is again reported in Texas, Florida and Delaware. Ethnographers in Texas and Florida report that local law enforcement agents are seizing more Rohypnol tablets, often still in the manufacturers' packaging. The Delaware ethnographer reported that area young users advertise the popularity of Rohypnol on T-shirts with the formula for Rohypnol and Ketamine emblazoned on the front.
