Pulse Check: National Trends in Drug Abuse
Spring 1996
Table 4
Ethnographers' Report on Cocaine:
April 1996
City Incidence Who's Using Change in Method Other Emerging Who's
Users Drugs Drugs Selling
Bridgeport, stable at HCl popular in none injecting Colombians
CN high nightclubs; smoking ; gangs
(Geter) level crack with inhaling
inner city
crowd
San stable traditional none injecting heroin Quaaludes Mexican
Antonio/ older users Mafia and
El Paso, TX Texas Side
(Ramos) Syndicate
Los down older (over 26) none smoking methamphet- wide
Angeles, CA slightly users amine variabilit
(Annon) y, but
dominated
by African
Americans
San crack use none smoking
Francisco, down injecting
CA
(Murphy)
Washington, stable at all ages more smoking heroin LSD young
DC high women injecting alcohol inhalants users
(Shu) level methadone selling to
each other
New York, down all none smoking heroin club home sales
NY ethnicities, injecting drugs from
(Goldsmith) both genders apartments
;
deliveries
using
beepers in
response
to recent
street
crackdowns
Atlanta, GA stable at young inner crack use smoking marijuana MDMA male and
(Sterk- high city users is heroin methamphe fIale
Elifon) level dominate becoming t-amine crack
more dealers;
common in primarily
suburbs African
Americans
at street
level
Denver, CO down older users none injecting heroin Mexican
(Koester) smoking nationals
sell
cocaine;
young gang
mIbers
sell
crack.
Miami, FL stable older inner no new injecting MDMA young
(Page) city users for young smoking Ketamine people
both crack and users Rohypnol selling to
cocaine HCl older
users
Baltimore, increasin cocaine users none injecting heroin Xanax
MD g are older and smoking PCP
(Murdoch) inject; crack benzodiaz-
users are epines
younger
St. stable 20-30 year olds none smoking LSD young
Petersburg, MDMA peers
FL selling to
(Mieczkowsk each other
i)
Trenton/New stable wide variety of none smoking alcohol MDMA young
ark, NJ urban users injecting heroin sellers
(French) who do not
use
themselves
New York, stable wide variety none smoking heroin PCP Dominicans
NY injecting marijuana Colombians
(Galea)
Austin, TX stable all ethnicities increase smoking Rohypnol Colombians
(Maxwell) and age groups in middle injecting Ketamine and
income MDMA Mexicans
communiti at
es and wholesale
Hispanic level;
fIales African
Americans
and
Hispanics
at street
level
Newark, DE stable wide range some MDMA Ketamine wide range
(Pazzaglini young (13- heroin "smart of stable
) 14) drugs" dealers
users;
more
fIales
San Diego, stable users 18-35; none smoking crack African
CA varied group inhaling PCP American
(Pennell) using HCl; and
African Hispanic
Americans use sellers;
crack phone
sales of
crack
apparent;
also
fIale
sellers
using
children
to
distribute
Chicago, IL stable wide range of none smoking, alcohol gangs
(Johnson) users, injecting
including older crack
users
Table 4 (cont'd.)
Ethnographers' Report on Cocaine: April 1996
City Purchase Purity Other/Comments
Amount
Bridgeport, $10, $20/bag high (65-70%)
CN
(Geter)
San variable
Antonio/El
Paso, TX
(Ramos)
Los Angeles, $10-$20/vial Users continue to be an aging population. New
CA (crack) users are not showing up at ERs or similar
(Annon) $140-$160/ settings.
1/8/ oz.
San $10/rock high
Francisco, CA
(Murphy)
Washington, $75/gram HCl increasing
DC $5/rock
(Shu)
Baltimore, MD Crack, HCl, and heroin are available in distinct
(Murdoch) neighborhoods. Users reflect the respective
neighborhoods where these drugs are available.
New York, NY $10, $20/bag good The market is primarily for HCl, because crack
(Goldsmith) $5/vial users cook their own rather than buy it ready
made. Sales have moved because of increased law
enforcement.
Atlanta, GA $5/rock 60-90% (HCl)
(Sterk- (crack)
Elifon)
Denver, CO $20/ 1/4 variable Speedballing is still the way cocaine HCl users
(Koester) gram HCl ingest, though it is less prevalent.
Miami, FL $10/bag or stable Cocaine is losing its appeal among young users.
(Page) vial In clubs, users try to hide cocaine. In contrast,
they inject Ketamine openly.
St. $100-
Petersburg, 125/gram
FL $10-20/unit
(Mieczkowski) crack
Trenton/Newar $10/vial below 50% Powdered cocaine is sold in vials to be made by
k, NJ (HCl) the user into crack; little ready-made apparent
(French)
New York, NY $10/bag Still highly available despite lots of
(Galea) $60/gram confiscations by law enforcement.
Austin, TX poor There is increasing evidence of heroin being
(Maxwell) included in large cocaine shipments from Colombia.
Newark, DE $10-30/bag variable There is a slight increase in crack over powder.
(Pazzaglini) Stored sources of crack north of the city have
been released to the market, sometimes tainted due
to storage. Lots of club drugs, "smart drugs,"
are available.
San Diego, CA $10/bag HCl = 20-50% Methamphetamine is the most prevalent drug in San
(Pennell) crack (street level) Diego.
$80- crack = 40-60%
$100/gram
Chicago, IL $10, Injectors are dissolving crack in vinegar or lIon
(Johnson) $20/unit juice and shooting it.
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