NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE EPIDEMIOLOGIC ...

intranasally (representing 36 percent). Those who
smoke crack are more likely than intranasal users to be
female (37 vs. 25 percent), Black (68 vs. 43 percent),
readmissions to treatment (81 vs. 70 percent), and without
income (34 vs. 26 percent), although for both
groups, there were fewer clients with no source of income
than in the previous reporting period. Those using
intranasally are more likely to be Hispanic or White
and to have some criminal justice status. The two
groups are similar in secondary drugs of abuse, primarily
alcohol and marijuana. It should be noted that all
admissions for primary cocaine abuse represent an aging
population, and those smoking crack tend to be
older than those using cocaine intranasally.
ADAM urinalysis data for 2003 showed different patterns
for males and females. Findings show cocaine
positives for 35.7 percent of males and 50.0 percent of
females. More female arrestees tested positive for cocaine
than for any other drug. For males, there were
more positives for cocaine than for opiates, but fewer
than for marijuana. Moreover, the percentage of cocaine
positives for males was considerably lower than
in recent years.
Another data source, the DEA’s National Forensic
Laboratory Information System, showed that of the
64,878 items reported for New York City in 2003,
36,807 (57 percent) were cocaine.
According to the Street Studies Unit, cocaine hydrochloride
(HCL) buying and use continues at a stable pace.
Although cocaine has traditionally been sold from indoor
locations, field observers report that there are a substantial
number of street sellers offering powder cocaine in
various parts of New York City. Cocaine prices can fluctuate,
as sellers vary the purity of the product and offer
several different size packages. Typically, cocaine is
sold in $20, $30, and $50 packages. The most common
price on the street is the $20 packet, which contains approximately
0.25 ounces of cocaine powder. While most
users interviewed reported that the quality of the cocaine
currently available remains high, they also indicated that
a number of sellers are attempting to extend their product
by adulterating it with manitol, baking soda, or
Diamond Crystal salt.
Two methods have traditionally been used in the packaging
of cocaine—plastic bags and aluminum foil.
Many users prefer the malleability of aluminum, but
dislike the fact that the cocaine can “cook-up” (melt) in
the foil from simple body heat, which may happen in
the club setting. The use of brand names in association
with the sale of cocaine is becoming increasingly rare,
since brand names may attract attention from law enforcement
and may be easily duplicated by competitors.
EPIDEMIOLOGIC TRENDS IN DRUG ABUSE—New York City
According to the DEA, the majority of the cocaine in
New York City is supplied by Colombians. Dominican
drug gangs continue to dominate the distribution of
cocaine in New York City. Many cocaine sellers appear
to be part of an extended organization composed of
family, blood relatives, and enduring friendship ties. At
the street level, most sellers are of the same ethnic identity
as the largest ethnic group in the community. Most
street sellers abuse the very drug they sell. Cocaine HCl
sellers appear to have a relatively less severe addiction
problem than crack sellers. If their habit becomes
worse, though, they may be relegated to selling crack
on the street.
There are three basic methods used to sell cocaine HCl.
Many sellers prefer the delivery method, in which the
buyer contacts the seller (via beeper, cell phone, or
Internet) and places an order and a delivery is arranged.
The seller does not enter the buyer’s building. Rather,
the seller and buyer meet on the street and the seller
typically charges $10 extra for the delivery. In the second
method, sellers work out of their own apartments.
Compared to crack sellers, cocaine sellers have a
smaller, more disciplined set of clients, which enables
sellers to manage access by requiring buyers to make
appointments that are appropriately spaced to obscure
traffic in and out of the apartment. The third method is
selling cocaine on the street. These sellers deal solely
with the “personal use” buyer who may want to buy
$10 or $20 amounts of cocaine. Individuals who are
interested in buying larger quantities have to use an
indoor connection, who is better able to tailor an ideal
product/price package. The selling of cocaine on the
street for personal use is typically found in black and
Hispanic low-income communities. Normally, individuals
selling cocaine do not sell other drugs. In the
Bronx, a field researcher recently was informed that a
local bodega was selling cocaine laced with phencyclidine
(PCP). According to the report, this combination
can be snorted or smoked in a cigarette or with marijuana.
This combination is unusual, and the SSU is
continuing to investigate.
The majority of the cocaine HCl street buyers are Hispanic
and Black. Compared to heroin and crack,
however, cocaine also has the largest number of White
street buyers. Cocaine users as a whole tend to have a
higher social-economic status (SES). This is probably
the result of cocaine’s popularity among young, whitecollar
professionals. According to field observations,
cocaine users appear to be almost evenly split in terms
of gender, but the majority of the individuals actually
making the buys continue to be males. Cocaine users
appear to be younger on average than either heroin or
crack users.
Proceedings of the Community Epidemiology Work Group, Vol. II, January 2005 165