This iteration of the Office of National Drug Control Policy
(ONDCP) Pulse Check represents one of a quarterly series which
began in April 1992. Conducted by Abt Associates under the
direction of Dr. Dana Hunt, the Pulse Check reports the results of
telephone interviews with ethnographers and epidemiologists working
in the drug research field, law enforcement contacts, and drug
treatment programs across the country. Conversations follow the
same general guidelines each quarter. However, sources may choose
not to report on a particular aspect of an issue in a quarter or
add information in areas not specifically included in the past.
The name given this series "Pulse Check" captures its purpose:
to provide a quick sense of what is happening with regard to drug
abuse across the Nation. The Pulse Check uses quarterly
conversations with police, ethnographers and epidemiologists
working in the drug field, and providers of drug treatment services
across the country to develop an up-to-date picture of what is
going on in the world of illegal drug use. The police and
ethnographic and epidemiologic reporters are generally the same
from quarter to quarter. The sample of treatment providers,
however, is randomly drawn, stratified by size from a listing of
all treatment providers in each region; those called each quarter
vary as the sample is refreshed. A further discussion of the
sources used in development of the Pulse Check is included as
Appendix A.
The following sections describe briefly the sources used and
summarize findings for this latest Pulse Check.
