NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE EPIDEMIOLOGIC ...

EPIDEMIOLOGIC TRENDS IN DRUG ABUSE—Miami-Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
cases, 87 percent of the methadone ME cases, 85
percent of the hydrocodone ME cases, 82 percent of
the heroin deaths, 79 percent of propoxyphene
deaths, and 75 percent of morphine ME cases (exhibit
1).
Miami-Dade County recorded 16 oxycodone-related
deaths during the first half of 2004, of which 6 (38
percent) were oxycodone induced. Fourteen of these
deaths (88 percent) involved oxycodone found in
combination with at least one other drug (exhibit 2).
Miami-Dade County recorded 10 hydrocodonerelated
deaths during the first half of 2004, and 3 (30
percent) were hydrocodone induced. Miami-Dade
County recorded six methadone-related deaths during
the first half of 2004, with four (67 percent) considered
methadone induced. Miami-Dade recorded 22
morphine-related deaths during the first half of 2004,
of which 6 (27 percent) were morphine induced. There
were seven propoxyphene-related deaths in Miami-
Dade County during the first half of 2004, of which
two (29 percent) were propoxyphene induced.
Broward County recorded 37 oxycodone-related
deaths during the first half of 2004, of which 25 (68
percent) were oxycodone induced. All of these deaths
involved oxycodone found in combination with at
least one other drug (exhibit 3). Broward County recorded
18 hydrocodone-related deaths during the first
half of 2004, and 10 (56 percent) were hydrocodone
induced. Broward County recorded 39 methadonerelated
deaths during the first half of 2004, with 22
(56 percent) considered methadone induced. Broward
County recorded 23 morphine-related deaths during
the first half of 2004, of which 6 (26 percent) were
morphine induced. Broward County recorded 13 propoxyphene-related
deaths during the first half of
2004, of which 4 (31 percent) were propoxyphene
induced. The two drugs from this category for which
there were increases in related deaths between 2003
and the first half of 2004 in Broward County are
methadone and morphine.
Unweighted data accessed from DAWN Live! for
Miami-Dade County EDs for the first half of 2004
show 101 oxycodone ED reports. There were also 33
hydrocodone ED reports, 20 methadone reports, and
44 ED reports from 9 other narcotic analgesics. Of
the total 198 narcotic analgesic ED reports, males
accounted for 56 percent of the patients. White, non-
Hispanics represented 60 percent of the patients; 15
percent were Black non-Hispanics; and 24 percent
were Hispanic/other. There were two patients
younger than 18, while 9 percent of the narcotic analgesic
ED patients were age 18–24, 18 percent were
25–34, and 72 percent were older than 34.
Unweighted data from the Broward County EDs for
the first half of 2004 show 42 oxycodone ED reports.
Males accounted for 66 percent of these patients.
White, non-Hispanics represented 85 percent of the
patients; 7 percent were Black, non-Hispanics; and 5
percent were Hispanic/other. There were no patients
younger than 18, while 21 percent of the oxycodone
ED patients were age 18–24, 26 percent were 25–34,
and 52 percent were older than 34. The most common
reasons or chief complaints for the oxycodone
ED patients to visit the ED were overdose and altered
mental status.
The NFLIS reported 51 oxycodone crime lab cases,
31 hydrocodone cases, and 9 methadone cases in the
12-month period from October 2003 to September
2004 in Miami-Dade County. The Broward Sheriff’s
Office Crime Lab worked 139 oxycodone cases in
the first 6 months of 2004. That is a 15-percent increase
from the 120 oxycodone cases in the second
half of 2003. There were also 96 hydrocodone cases
in the first 6 months of 2004, compared to 73 cases in
the last half of 2003.
Nationally, the 2004 Monitoring the Future Survey
reported that current use of opiates other than heroin
(defined as any use within the past 30 days) was reported
by 4.3 percent of 12th graders, representing a
0.2-percent increase from the same survey in 2003.
Marijuana
Marijuana is abused by more Americans, particularly
youth, than any other illicit drug. Consequences of its
abuse and addiction continue even as rates of its use
are declining among youth.
Cannabinoids were detected in 460 deaths statewide
in Florida during the first half of 2004, representing
an increase of 40 percent from the 328 such cases
during the previous 6 months.
Unweighted data accessed from DAWN Live! for the
Miami-Dade hospital emergency departments show
that marijuana was involved in 21 percent or 1,109 of
the 5,163 drug abuse ED reports in the first half of
2004 (exhibit 4). Seventy-eight percent of the marijuana
ED patients were male. Non-Hispanic Blacks
accounted for 47 percent of these patients; non-
Hispanic Whites accounted for 30 percent; and Hispanic/others
accounted for 23 percent. There were 40
patients (4 percent) younger than 18, while 28 percent
of the patients were age 18–24, 30 percent were
25–34, and 38 percent were older than 34.
Unweighted ED data from Broward County show
that marijuana was involved in 19 percent or 231 of
Proceedings of the Community Epidemiology Work Group, Vol. II, January 2005 127