NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE EPIDEMIOLOGIC ...

Ketamine and Rohypnol did not have a presence at all.
Fifty-six percent of the patients reporting MDMA use
were male, and 38 percent were Hispanic (followed by
22 percent White and Black). More than one-half of
the MDMA users (56 percent) were between 12 and 24
years of age. Of the 122 complaints, the three most
frequently reported complaints were altered mental
status (40 complaints), intoxication (36 complaints),
and psychiatric condition (31 complaints). Methamphetamine-using
patients were most likely to be admitted
to a psychiatric inpatient ward (50 percent) or discharged
(20 percent).
California Poison Control System calls involving
exposure to ecstasy among Los Angeles County residents
have decreased consistently over recent years,
from a high of 56 in 2000 to a low of 16 in 2003 (exhibit
8a). In the first half of 2004 alone, however, 12
calls relating to ecstasy exposure were reported. If an
equal number of calls are made in the second half of
2004, the overall number will exceed the 2003 level.
Between January 2003 and June 2004, slightly more
callers reporting exposure to ecstasy were male (57
percent) than female (43 percent), and 64 percent
were between the ages of 13 and 25 (exhibit 9). In
addition to calls relating to ecstasy exposure, a total
of 14 GHB exposure calls, 4 ketamine calls, and 3
Rohypnol calls were recorded between January 2000
and June 2004.
The California Poison Control System also kept track
of calls relating to Coricidin HBP and dextromethorphan
(DXM) exposures. Between January 2003 and
June 2004, 50 Coricidin HBP calls and 17 DXM calls
were logged in the system (exhibit 9). Fifty-two percent
of Coricidin HBP calls and 58 percent of DXM
calls were male. Furthermore, 84 percent of the Coricidin
HBP calls and 58 percent of the DXM calls
were made because of exposure to individuals
younger than 18. Eighteen to 24-year-olds represented
an additional 16 percent of the Coricidin HBP
calls and 21 percent of the DXM calls.
According to CHKS data for the 2003–2004 school
year (exhibit 10), 5.5 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 ecstasy. Current use of ecstasy was not assessed,
although a question regarding past-6-month use of
psychedelics, ecstasy, or other club drugs was included
in the survey. Overall, 6.2 percent of all respondents
reported use of these drugs (exhibit 11).
By grade, 6 percent of 9th graders and 5 percent of
11th graders answered in the affirmative.
EPIDEMIOLOGIC TRENDS IN DRUG ABUSE—Los Angeles County
According to NFLIS data based on 54,240 analyzed
items reported by participating laboratories within Los
Angeles County between October 2003 and September
2004, less than 1 percent (288) of all items analyzed
were found to be MDMA, GHB, or ketamine. Of those
three club drugs, MDMA was most likely to be detected;
it represented 81 percent of the club drug samples
analyzed by NFLIS. GHB represented an additional
12 percent of the samples, and ketamine accounted
for 7 percent.
According to NDIC, the majority of MDMA available
in Los Angeles is transported directly from
Western Europe. Los Angeles is a source of both
wholesale and midlevel amounts of MDMA, which is
destined for markets around the United States, including
Pacific, Southwest, and West Central States
(NDIC 2004). Israeli and Russian criminal groups
control the wholesale distribution, and independent
dealers (usually White males) are responsible for
retail marketing and distribution. Mail service and air
travel are the two most likely ways to transport the
product into Los Angeles. Within Los Angeles, Israeli
and Russian traffickers control the distribution
at the wholesale level.
With the exception of GHB, wholesale and retail
prices for club drugs remained stable since the June
2004 report. In multiple quantities, MDMA has a
wholesale price of $12 per pill or capsule (exhibit
13). At the retail level, ecstasy usually sells for $20–
$40 per pill. A standard dose of ecstasy is 60–150
milligrams, which is equivalent to one or two pills. In
Los Angeles, ecstasy “boats” continue to be mentioned.
A boat contains 1,000 MDMA pills and sells
for $8,000. Flunitrazepam (Rohypnol), when available,
has a retail value of $6–$10 for a 1-milligram
pill. On the street, ketamine sells for $100–$200 per
10-milliliter vial. In addition, ketamine retails for $20
for two-tenths grams of powder. The wholesale price
for GHB increased since the last report. A gallon
sells for $275–$300, and a liter sells for $80–$100. A
16-ounce bottle of GHB, which once ranged from
$65 to $100, now sells for $120. Capfuls can still be
purchased for $5–$20 each. The vast majority of
GHB users ingested the drug as a liquid, either in
straight shots or mixed with a drink.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES RELATED TO DRUG ABUSE
A cumulative total of 48,510 adult/adolescent AIDS
cases were reported in Los Angeles County through
June 30, 2004. Of those cases, 996 were reported
between January 1, 2004, and June 30, 2004. Currently,
approximately 19,700 Los Angeles County
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