Table 1
Ethnographers and Epidemiologists Report on Heroin
| City | ||||
| San Diego, CA | San Francisco, CA | Denver, CO | Bridgeport, CT | |
| Use | Stable | Up | Stable at high level | |
|
Who's Using/ Change in Users |
Both males and females, 20-50 years old; mostly Caucasian and Latino users. | Both males and females; various ethnicities; increase in young middle-class users (18-25 years old) snorting and smoking; stable, aging group of users injecting. | Wide variety of users; new users are mostly young Caucasians. | Increased use by 16-21 years age range, especially females; stable population of older users; many former crack users now using heroin. |
| Method of Use | Injection |
Snorting (increase) Smoking Injection (decrease) |
Injection |
Snorting (younger users) Injection (older users) |
| Drugs in Combination |
Cocaine Marijuana |
Marijuana Alcohol Crack Powder cocaine |
Cocaine Alcohol |
Crack Powder cocaine |
| Who's Selling | Primarily Latino sellers; no change in group; dealers also sell cocaine. | Same profile as users; dealers also sell powder and/or crack cocaine. | Predominantly male; wide age range; dealers also sell cocaine. | |
|
Purchase Amount/ Purity |
$15-$20 per gram; no change in price; 40%-60% purity. |
$60-$80 per gram; no change in price. |
Stable price; $20 per piece. |
Stable price; $10 per bag. |
|
Other/ Comments |
Methamphetamine remains problematic. | Never a shortage of drugs in the area. | ||
Table 1 (cont'd.)
Ethnographers and Epidemiologists Report on Heroin
|
City | ||||
| Newark, DE | Miami, FL | Atlanta, GA | Chicago, IL | |
| Use | Up | Up | Stable at high level | |
|
Who's Using/ Change in Users |
Increase in young users; increase in young middle-class Caucasian users; stable population of older users; use in all ethnicities. | Increase in young (18-20's) users; increase in young female users; stable group of long term users-mostly males. | Older (35+ years), Caucasian and African American males who are long-term users; younger (18-30 years.) Caucasian males and females, and younger African American females who are newer users; shift from crack use to heroin use. | More males than females; average age-30's; many ethnicities. |
| Method of Use |
Snorting Injection |
Injection Skin popping Snorting |
Injection Snorting |
|
| Drugs in Combination |
Cocaine Benzodiazepines LSD |
Cocaine (only for long time users, not new, young population) |
Cocaine Alcohol |
Cocaine Methamphetamine Ritalin |
| Who's Selling | Younger males of many ethnicities; also sell other drugs. | Long time heroin dealers; crack & cocaine dealers; new young Caucasian male dealers. | Southeast Asian heroin coming from Nigerian traffickers; lots of polydrug sellers. | |
| Purchase Amount/ Purity |
Variable price; $5-$10 per bag; variable purity (20%-90%). |
$10 per bag; $100 per gram; very low purity (16%) compared to other areas, but higher than it has been. |
Under $1 per mg pure; price up slightly; 33% purity. | |
|
Other/ Comments |
||||
Table 1 (cont'd.)
Ethnographers and Epidemiologists Report on Heroin
|
City | ||||
| Baltimore, MD | New York, NY | Seattle, WA | ||
| Use | Up | Stable | ||
|
Who's Using/ Change in Users |
Varied | Wide variety of users; lots of new users. | No change in users. | |
| Method of Use |
Injection Snorting Smoking |
Snorting Injection |
Injection | |
| Drugs in Combination |
Marijuana Alcohol Cocaine |
Cocaine | Cocaine | |
| Who's Selling | Wide age range; no change in group. | More discrete market; dealers also sell cocaine. | ||
| Purchase Amount/Purity |
$10, $20, $30 per capsule; no change in price; purity fluctuates. |
$10 per bag. |
$0.81 per mg pure; 17.8 % purity. | |
|
Other/ Comments |
||||
