Table 1
Ethnographers and Epidemiologists Report on Heroin
|
Bridgeport, CT |
San Antonio/ |
San Diego, CA |
New York, NY |
|
| Use | up | up | stable | stable |
| Who's Using/ Change in Users | traditional older users and teens/young adults; more teen users, more female users | Hispanics, gang members, older users; more women, more young users | males, 25-50 years old; more Hispanic users, more young users | traditional older users; more young users, more middle-class users |
| Method of Use | snorting injecting |
snorting injecting |
injecting snorting |
snorting injecting |
| Drugs in Combination | alcohol; cocaine; crack | cocaine | cocaine | |
| Who's Selling | Young dealers, some selling through beepers. | Both young dealers and older, established dealers | Hispanic males | Crews selling both heroin and cocaine, beeper sales |
| Purchase Amount/Purity | $10/bag; high purity | $10/bag, $70-1/16 oz.; variable purity |
$140 - $200/gram; 40% - 60% purity |
$10/bag |
| Other/Comments | Some sales are through beepers, and deliveries are made to clubs, houses, and suburban areas. Many young users and sellers. | Methamphetamine is the number one problem. | Young users seem to think heroin is controllable compared to crack, and it is part of a battery of drugs used to "party." Better organized street sales. |
| City | ||||
| Denver, CO | Miami, FL | Chicago, IL | Trenton/Newark, NJ | |
| Use | up | up | up | up |
| Who's Using/ Change in Users | young, some homeless, some college users; more use among people under 25 | older users returning to use, middle class club goers | traditional older users plus young users (teens and 20s); more young users | 25-40 years old, some increase in young users; more non-urban users |
| Method of Use | >injecting | skin popping injecting |
snorting injecting |
snorting injecting |
| Drugs in Combination | cocaine crack |
alcohol | ||
| Who's Selling | Mexican nationals and Hondurans at street level | Hispanic dealers for brown heroin; Nigerians for white heroin. | Older teens/young adults | |
| Purchase Amount/Purity | $20/balloon; $30-$35 for 1/4 gram; 3% -15% purity | $10/bag $20/bag; 5% - 20% purity | high purity | $15/bag; good purity |
| Other/Comments | As compared to the past, more street dealers have both heroin and cocaine, though heroin is still easier to get. Methamphetamine available through white street level dealers. | More old-time shooters are getting a taste for heroin again. It is also being skin-popped in after hours clubs by white upper middle-class adult users. | Users are reporting difficulty getting into treatment and are fearful of medical cuts further limiting their options. | |
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|
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| New York | Austin, TX | Newark, DE | |
| Use | up | up (slightly) | up |
| Who's Using/ Change in Users | more young users | older users (30+), primarily Hispanic | traditional older users and many teen users; more young users |
| Method of Use | injecting snorting smoking |
injection | snorting injecting |
| Drugs in Combination | crack cocaine | cocaine | |
| Who's Selling | more independent sellers evident | ||
| Purchase Amount/Purity | $10/bag $100/bundle; declining purity | Black Tar: $2,300 - $6,000/oz. | Purity is good |
| Other/Comments | There are many more independent sellers who are cutting heroin with odd adulterants i.e., Dramamine, aspirin. | Increasing problems with illicit prescription drugs from Mexico. Also, increase in ER mentions for GHB, including one overdose death. | Heroin use was down a little over the summer, but is gradually rising again, particularly among young (teen) users. It is easily accessible to teens. |