NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE EPIDEMIOLOGIC ...

Twelve percent of all primary methamphetamine admissions
reported past-year intravenous use of one or
more drugs (exhibit 6). Approximately one-fifth of the
primary methamphetamine treatment admissions
were homeless (20.1 percent) and referred by the
court or criminal justice system (20.0 percent). Fortysix
percent were entering treatment for the first time.
Forty-two percent had graduated from high school,
and, at the time of admission, 18.3 percent were employed
full- or part-time.
Preliminary unweighted data accessed from DAWN
Live! for the first half of 2004 indicate that of the
4,688 major substances reported in the Los Angeles
division, 658 (14 percent) were stimulants (exhibit 7).
The stimulant category encompasses amphetamines
and methamphetamine. Stimulants were the third
most likely major substance to be reported, following
alcohol and cocaine. For the remainder of the DAWN
discussion, stimulant user demographics will be broken
down into amphetamines and methamphetamine.
According to the unweighted DAWN data, 75 percent
of the patients reporting methamphetamine use
were male and 52 percent were Hispanic (followed
by 33 percent White and 3 percent Black). More than
one-half (55 percent) were age 25–44, and an additional
30 percent were 18–24. The three most frequently
reported complaints were intoxication (269
complaints), altered mental status (258 complaints),
and psychiatric condition (254 complaints). Methamphetamine-using
patients were most likely to be discharged
home (41 percent) or admitted to a psychiatric
inpatient ward (38 percent).
Fifty-five percent of the ED patients reporting amphetamines
were male, and 56 percent were Hispanic
(followed by 24 percent White and 8 percent Black).
Fifty-six percent were age 25–44, and an additional
28 percent were 18–24. The top three complaints
were intoxication (88 complaints), altered mental
status (86 complaints), and withdrawal (76 complaints).
Amphetamine-using patients were most
likely to be discharged home (43 percent) or admitted
to a psychiatric inpatient ward (25 percent).
California Poison Control System calls involving exposure
to methamphetamine/amphetamine among Los
Angeles County residents have fluctuated over the
years, with 48 calls logged for 2000, a high of 63 calls
in 2001, and approximately 55 calls in 2002 and 2003
(exhibit 8a). In the first half of 2004 alone, 33
methamphetamine/amphetamine-related exposure calls
were made to the system. If an equal number of calls
are made in the second half of 2004, the overall number
will exceed the peak level seen in 2001. Between
January 2003 and June 2004, slightly more callers
EPIDEMIOLOGIC TRENDS IN DRUG ABUSE—Los Angeles County
reporting exposure to methamphetamine or other amphetamines
were male (53 percent) than female (47
percent), and 64 percent were between the ages of 18
and 34 (exhibit 9). In addition to calls relating to
methamphetamine and amphetamine exposure, a total
of 37 Ritalin/Adderall exposure calls were recorded
between January 2000 and June 2004.
According to CHKS data for the 2003–2004 school
year (exhibit 10), 7.3 percent of all Los Angeles
County secondary school students (including 7th, 9th,
and 11th graders, and a small sample of nontraditional
students) who responded to the survey had ever
used methamphetamine, and 3.7 percent were current
methamphetamine users (defined as any use in the
past 30 days). A breakdown of the data by grade level
illustrated that among responding ninth graders, 5.4
percent had ever used methamphetamine and 2.9 percent
were current users. A higher percentage of 11th
than 9th graders reported current methamphetamine
use in the past 30 days. A nearly equal proportion of
males and females identified as lifetime methamphetamine
users (51 percent were male and 49 percent
were female). The gender gap widened with
past-30-day use of methamphetamine (63 percent
male vs. 37 percent female). Frequent methamphetamine
use is defined as 20 or more days of use in the
previous 30 days. Twenty-three percent of the current
methamphetamine users reported frequent use.
Among the frequent users, 68 percent were male and
the remaining 32 percent were female. When asked
about past-6-month use of cocaine, methamphetamine,
or other stimulants, 7.1 percent of 9th graders
and 6.5 percent of 11th graders responded in the affirmative
(exhibit 11).
According to long-term trends calculated from CHKS
data spanning over the most recent 5 school years (exhibit
12), the pattern of past-30-day methamphetamine
use among responding secondary school students was
similar to those seen for cocaine and LSD/other psychedelics.
From 1999–2000 to 2001–2002, past-30day
methamphetamine use decreased consistently from
the peak level of 4.6 percent in 1999–2000 to 4.1 percent
in 2001–2002. In 2002–2003, the percentage of
current methamphetamine users increased slightly to
4.3 percent, but it decreased to 3.7 percent (the lowest
level yet) in 2003–2004.
According to NFLIS data based on 54,240 analyzed
items reported by participating laboratories within Los
Angeles County between October 2003 and September
2004, 33 percent (17,727) of all items analyzed were
found to be methamphetamine/amphetamine. Methamphetamine
accounted for the second largest proportion
of samples positively identified by NFLIS. An
additional 22 items were identified as amphetamine,
Proceedings of the Community Epidemiology Work Group, Vol. II, January 2005 105