Twice annually, the Office of National Drug Control Policy issues Pulse Check: Trends in Drug Abuse. The report is based on information gathered through conversations with ethnographers, epidemiologists, law enforcement officials, and treatment providers working throughout the United States. These experts describe patterns in illicit drug use and illicit drug markets they have seen emerging in their local communities over the past 6 months preceding the conversations. The result is an update on activities covering the prior 6 months. Following are highlights of findings on heroin, cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine.
Heroin
- Snorting heroin continues to be an increasingly popular method of ingestion in areas where high purity levels make it an alternative to injection. Young users seem to associate a lower risk with snorting than they do with injecting, threatening an expansion in their numbers. Injection, however, remains the most prevalent route of ingestion overall and is likely the ultimate method of use for those who initiate use by snorting.
- Over the past 6 months, a number of ethnographic and law enforcement sources cite an increase in the number of female heroin users and an increase in the number of suburban, Caucasian heroin users from higher socioeconomic groups than typical of traditional heroin users.
Cocaine
- Despite positive evidence of cocaine use stabilizing and fewer new users, it remains a major problem in many communities. Multiple ethnographic and law enforcement sources note that cocaine is the primary illicit drug problem in their areas. Treatment providers across the country report no change in the prevalence of cocaine use among their clientele.
Marijuana
- Marijuana remains a very popular drug. All ethnographic and law enforcement sources interviewed said that marijuana use is stable, widespread, or increasing.
- Both ethnographic and law enforcement sources report a significant population of young marijuana users with increases reported in nine cities. Sources interviewed for this issue of Pulse Check said that users tend to be younger than found for other drugs, though marijuana use is prevalent among a wide range of ages and ethnicities. According to treatment providers, between 31 and 51 percent of clients receiving treatment for marijuana use are under the age of 20 years.
- Sources continue to remark on the increased availability of high-quality marijuana due to indoor and hydroponic marijuana growing systems that are now in widespread use.
Methamphetamine
- Ethnographic and law enforcement sources on the West Coast report that the methamphetamine problem continues to grow. In Los Angeles and Honolulu, sources note that the drug is more popular than cocaine due to its lower price and longer-lasting effect. Increased use and decreased prices are reported in the Midwest where seizures indicate high production activity.
- Treatment providers in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic/South, and Midwest regions report low proportions of clients listing methamphetamine as their primary drug of abuse (3 percent, 2 percent, and 4 percent, respectively). However, treatment providers in the West/Southwest region, where the drug has been established for several years, report that 18 percent of their clients primarily abuse methamphetamine.
