Pulse Check: National Trends in Drug Abuse
Winter 1995
Table 4
Ethnographers - Cocaine
City Incidence Who is Using D in Method Other Emerging Who's
Users Drugs Drugs Selling
Austin, TX HCl males in early more use injecting Ritalin Rohypnol Street
(Maxwell) stable; 30s; of crack , ephedrine level
crack 29% White, 57% among smoking methamphe crack
increasin African Hispanics tamine dealers
g American, 13% at border are
slightly Hispanic African
Americans;
upper
level
powder
dealers
are Anglos
or
Hispanics.
San stable little smoking heroin MDMA African
Francisco, CA new use methamphet psilocybi Americans
(Murphy) amine n, LSD; and
methamphe Hispanics
tamine sell
crack;
Whites
sell HCl
Atlanta, GA HCl smoking marijuana "club HCl sold
(Sterk- increased drugs" by older
Elifson) , crack methamphe male
stable tamine Whites;
crack sold
by young
African
Americans
(men and
women.)
El Paso, TX African more marijuana young
(Ramos) American males crack sellers
for crack; users for crack
teens for HCl among the
young and
females
New York, NY stable wide range of none smoking, heroin fewer
(Galea) users injecting street
sales; for
more than
one gram
sales are
inside
Chicago, IL crack wide range of more some heroin Ritalin Gang
(Weibel) available users; all heroin injection marijuana members
, HCl ethnicities, users of crack, sell
scarce ages, and socio- adding smoking crack.
economic status crack
levels
Denver, CO stable African decline smoking, alcohol African
(Hoffer) Americans for in number injecting marijuana American
crack; of gangs sell
suburban, non- injectors crack;
minority market Whites
for HCl; both sell
older cocaine
HCl
Los Angeles, stable 26 years old or none smoking alcohol inhalants wide
CA older, 60/40 methamphe variabilit
(Annon) male to female, tamine y, but
60% African dominated
American by African
Americans
Bridgeport, stable 25-40 years old none smoking heroin PCP gang
CN mescaline sellers
(Geter) who also
sell
heroin;
bulk sales
handled
out of
bars
Miami, FL stable wide variety of none smoking, heroin Rohypnol
(Page) users injecting MDMA
Ketamine
Trenton, N.J. stable wide variety of none smoking alcohol Groups of
(French) users kids (not
formal
gangs) are
selling.
Baltimore, MD high traditional injecting alcohol PCP Most sales
(Murdock) users, who are , marijuana from
often also smoking houses,
heroin users; not on
crack users are street.
younger,
increasingly
women
Dover/Newark, stable wide range of more snorting, heroin LSD Out of
DE users affluent injecting Rohypnol area
(Pazzaglini) users , smoking dealers
again sell from
trunks of
cars
directly
to users
and
distributo
rs.
St. stable demographics of none snorting, alcohol, Rohypnol
Petersburg, users reflects smoking marijuana
FL those of
(Mieczkowski) community
New York, NY stable wide variety of none smoking, heroin "club poor
(Goldsmith) users injecting drugs" quality
sold by
regular
dealers;
better
quality
sold by
dealers of
heroin and
new
dealers.
Table 4 (cont'd.)
Ethnographers - Cocaine
City Purchase Purity Other/Comments
Amount
Austin, TX Crack use is increasing slightly at border. There
(Maxwell) is also increased prostitution related to crack,
including male prostitution. There have been
large seizure of HCl at border (1600 lbs.) this
quarter.
San Francisco, $60/gram, fairly high Crack is increasingly seen as "declasse" or "very
CA wrapped in out." High availability of hallucinogens; Coffee
(Murphy) cellophane laced with methamphetamine seen among young, urban
types ("bikers coffee").
Atlanta, GA $3-10/rock high There has been an increase in female dealers,
(Sterk- for crack including dealers of quantity.
Elifson) $60-100/gram
for HCl
El Paso, TX Sees young users moving from cocaine-laced
(Ramos) marijuana smoking to crack.
New York, NY $5/vial high (70%)
(Galea) (crack)
$10-20/bag
(HCl)
Chicago, IL wide variabilit HCl is hard to find, but rock cocaine is
(Weibel) y plentiful. For speedballing, Ritalin or crack
dissolved in lemon juice or vinegar is being
substituted in the injection for cocaine.
Denver, CO $10/rock In Denver, cocaine is rarely sold as powder then
(Hoffer) (crack) "cooked" by the user. It comes already in rocks,
$20/bag injectors often have to dissolve it from rocks.
(HCl)
Los Angeles, $10-20/vial high (50-70%)
CA $140-160/
(Annon) 1/8oz.
$14,000-
16,000/Kilo
Bridgeport, CN $5/vial of Many users in this area use both crack and heroin
(Geter) crack and the drugs are marketed together. P-dope (high
$20-50/bag purity, less adulterated) heroin dominates the
HCl entire drug market.
Miami, FL $5, 10, Crack is readily available, but HCl powder is not.
(Page) 20/bag Injectors may smoke crack if they can't get
(crack) powdered cocaine.
Trenton/Newark $3-20/vial 40-50% Cocaine sold almost entirely as HCl powder which
, N.J. for HCl the user then "cooks up" into crack. The vials
(French) sold in this area cost from $3 - $20 and contain
HCl, not crack; also sees use of cocaine with
heavy alcohol where alcohol abuser uses cocaine to
"wake up" so he/she can consume more alcohol.
Baltimore, MD $3-10/cap Crack came late to Baltimore. Most cocaine users
(Murdock) HCl have been speedballers or injectors. Only
$5/vial recently is crack apparent and mostly among young,
crack often female users.
Dover/Newark, $5-30/bag 50% Dealers from out of state sell from auto trunks in
DE all areas, including resorts and affluent suburbs.
(Pazzaglini)
New York, NY variable Traditional suppliers are offering poor quality
(Goldsmith) cocaine (bad color, "gummy"). Less formal sources
are offering better quality. Colombian suppliers
are insisting user/sellers also sell heroin.
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