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Pulse Check
National Trends in Drug Abuse
Winter 1998
Table 1
Ethnographers and Epidemiologists Report on Heroin
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City
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Los Angeles, CA
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San Francisco, CA
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Denver, CO
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| Use
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Stable
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Increase
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Stable
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Who's Using/
Change in Users
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Based on treatment admissions: 70% male, 30% female; 41% Latino, 38% Caucasian; 43% 35-44 years old, 27% 45 years old and over.
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Mostly Caucasian; some college students snorting and smoking; many older, long-term users; increase in young users.
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Mostly older users; 60% male, 40% female; mostly Caucasian and Hispanic.
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Prevalent Method of Use
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Based on treatment admissions:
90% injection
6% smoking
4% snorting
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Injection
Smoking (increase)
Snorting (increase)
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Injection
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Drugs in Combination
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Cocaine
Amphetamines
Methadone
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Cocaine
Amphetamines
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Cocaine (speedball)
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Who's Selling
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Many ethnic groups. Sell cocaine as well.
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Primarily Mexican Nationals; fewer street dealers, more beeper sales.
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Price/Purity
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$20-$25 per ¼ gram; $18,000 per kg; purity 8-60%.
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Decrease; $25 per ¼ gram.
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$120-160 per gram; $750 per ½ ounce.
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Other/
Comments
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Table 1 (cont'd)
Ethnographers and Epidemiologists Report on Heroin
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City
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Bridgeport, CT
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Newark, DE
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Miami, FL
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| Use
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Stable at high level
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Stable
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Slow increase; new snorters & skin-poppers.
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Who's Using/
Change in Users
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30% African American, 30% Hispanic, 30% Caucasian; 65% males, 35% females; generally older (30-40+ years), increased use by age group 20-29 years, increased snorting by 16-20 year old group.
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First-time users: teenagers, particularly young Caucasian females. Chronic users: wide range of socioeconomic and ethnic groups, 20-60 years, both males and females.
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75% African-American (not usually young); some non-Cuban Hispanics, Puerto-Rican Hispanics, Dominicans, Caucasians (more young users in these groups); age is bimodal, 45-55 yrs. or in 20's ; older age group 75% male, 25% female; younger age group 60% male, 40% female.
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Prevalent Method of Use
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Snorting (most prevalent)
Injection
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Snorting (increase)
Injection
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Injection (older users)
Skin-popping (younger users, older users with no veins left)
Snorting (younger users)
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Drugs in Combination
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Crack cocaine
Alcohol
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Marijuana
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Alcohol
Tobacco
Marijuana
Cocaine
MDMA
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Who's Selling
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Gangs; 15-25 years; also sell crack; sold and home delivered via beeper use.
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Wide variety; street level dealers in mid-teens to mid-30's; also sell other drugs.
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Hispanic sellers; also sell cocaine.
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Price/Purity
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$10 per bag; purity is high.
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$10-20 per bag; purity varies.
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$10 per bag; purity is up.
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Other/
Comments
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Dealers target young females as new users. Then these females are used to lure new young male users.
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Table 1 (cont'd)
Ethnographers and Epidemiologists Report on Heroin
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City
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St. Petersburg, FL
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Honolulu, HI
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Chicago, IL
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| Use
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Stable at low level
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VariableCincrease in some areas, stable in some, nonexistent in some.
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Increase
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Who's Using/
Change in Users
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Caucasian youth (snorting), young adults
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Not many native islanders use; primarily older age group; more males than females
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More younger suburban users, higher socioeconomic groups; more female users
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Prevalent Method of Use
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Snorting
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Injection
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Increased snorting, faster progression to injection, increased injection.
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Drugs in Combination
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MDMA
Marijuana
Alcohol
LSD
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Methadone
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Cocaine (speedballing)
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Who's Selling
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Mexican Nationals; also sell marijuana, cocaine
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Gang controlled; different types of heroin sold by different groups; also sell cocaine, marijuana
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Price/Purity
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$10, $15, $20 units
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$50 per 3 gram (typical purchase); $200-500 per gram; $100,000 per kg.
Black tar, 67%, but also as low as 20%.
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China White- $40,000 per kg, $160-175 per gram; Mexican brown,
$28,000-40,000 per kg;
Black tar, $800-1,800 per oz; DEA reported lowest price per pure mg in 1997 ($.68), 31% purity
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Other/
Comments
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Increase in heroin use indicated in rise in treatment admissions
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heroin, cocaine combinations sold; most heroin from Southeast Asia; South American heroin more available
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Table 1 (cont'd.)
Ethnographers and Epidemiologists Report on Heroin
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City
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Minneapolis, MN
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Kansas City, MO
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New York, NY
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| Use
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Increase in snorting, but overall low prevalence
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Stable at extremely
Low level
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Stable at high level
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Who's Using/
Change in Users
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25% under 25 yrs., predominantly Caucasian, increase in this group; 43% 35 yrs. +;
70% male, 30% female;
50% Caucasian, 50% Africa-American
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All ages; all ethnic groups
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Prevalent Method of Use
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45% Snorting (increase)
53% Injecting
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Snorting (popular)
Injection
Smoking (not common)
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Drugs in Combination
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Cocaine (speedballing)
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Cocaine (speedballing)
Marijuana
Prescription drugs
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Who's Selling
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Variable; also sell cocaine and marijuana
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Fewer street dealers, more indoor sales and deliveries; older group than sellers of crack cocaine; primarily sell heroin only
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Price/Purity
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$50 for standard retail unit; $350-500 per gram; $3,000-4,000 per oz
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$10 per bag (1/10 gram); high purity
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Other/
Comments
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Hepatitis-C is common among methadone clients
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Concern about young age of those initiating use
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Table 1 (cont'd.)
Ethnographers and Epidemiologists Report on Heroin
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City
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Austin, TX
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San Antonio, TX
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Seattle, WA
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| Use
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Increase
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Increase in use by youths
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Sources report increase in use, but treatment admissions and deaths have declined
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Who's Using/
Change in Users
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Based on treatment admissions: Injectors-49% Caucasian, 11% African-American, 39% Hispanic, average age 36 yrs. Snorters-29% Caucasian, 40% African-American, 27% Hispanic, average age 31 years; increased use by middle and upper class Caucasian population
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Young users; mostly Mexican-American users, also Caucasian and African-American users; more males than females, but use by females is on the rise
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Typically middle-aged Caucasian males
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Prevalent Method of Use
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Injecting
Snorting (increase)
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Injection
"Shebanging" (squirting mixture up nose)
Smoking (may combine with marijuana)
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Drugs in Combination
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Alcohol, Cocaine
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Cocaine (speedballing), Xanax, Darvon, Diazepam, Valium, Rohypnol (in youth gangs), Marijuana
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Cocaine
Methamphetamine
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Who's Selling
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Hispanic community controls heroin flow
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Mexican mafia: controls distribution & most of the business. Texas syndicate: younger sellers, higher status in IV user community, more trustworthy. Increase in younger sellers; also sell cocaine and marijuana.
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Price/Purity
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Black tar (decrease): $250-400 per gram, $800-3,500 per ounce, $50,000-175,000 per kg; 44-80% purity. South East Asian: $150,000-175,000 per kg.
South West Asian: $85,000 per kg. Colombian: $50,000-95,000 per kg; 30-80% purity.
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$10 per gram, $40 per gram, at Mexican border and El Paso $1,300-1,400 per ounce.
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Other/
Comments
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