NATIONAL INSTITUTE ON DRUG ABUSE EPIDEMIOLOGIC ...

Methamphetamine remains the leading primary substance
of abuse for those admitted to treatment, accounting
for 45.2 percent of admissions. Marijuana
remained the third most frequently reported primary
substance for treatment admissions (22.2 percent)
behind alcohol (22.4 percent). It is important to point
out, however, that almost all polydrug treatment admissions
list alcohol as a substance of abuse. The 25–
44 age group had the highest representation among
treatment admissions, with 26.2 percent of admissions
being age 25–34; 35–44-year-olds accounted
for 25.0 percent. While marijuana abuse accounts for
the majority of treatment admissions among those
younger than 18 (the third most frequently admitted
age group), the abuse of ice or crystal methamphetamine
still looms as a major treatment category for
this group.
During this reporting period, drug prices have been
stable, except for some minor upward price adjustments
for crystal methamphetamine in smaller
amounts (exhibit 1). The size of the drug supply appears
to make for a relatively stable drug market,
with only a few market adjustments caused by seizures
of specific drugs or oversupply of others.
Ice continues to dominate the Hawaiian drug market.
Prices have increased slightly during the reporting
period, and this is likely reflective of several seizures.
It is now easier to purchase larger quantities than in
the past. The final police evidence of increased ice
availability is that of clandestine labs, almost exclusively
reprocessing labs that continue to be closed at
a regular pace.
Marijuana remains a drug for which arrest results
from circumstance, bad luck, or stupidity. The Big
Island Police Department continues “Operation
Green Harvest” in collaboration with Federal agencies.
More than 100,000 plants are seized per halfyear
on the Hilo (east) side of the island, and about
an additional 30,000 plants are seized on the Kona
(west) side of the island. Officials in Maui seize approximately
14,000 plants per half-year. Efforts in
O'ahu during the 2004 reporting period resulted in
seizures of only 1,045 plants and 24,714 grams of
dried marijuana, compared with 8,472 plants and
45,074 grams seized in 2003 and 41,996 plants and
52,269 grams of dried marijuana seized in 2002.
The Hawai'i DEA continues its efforts with the
Honolulu Police Department to deal with crystal
methamphetamine and, in particular, to break the
supply route from California for the chemicals necessary
to operate Hawai'i’s ice labs. During this period,
the HPD seized and closed 24 clandestine metham-
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EPIDEMIOLOGIC TRENDS IN DRUG ABUSE—Honolulu, Hawai'i
phetamine laboratories. In 2000, 8 labs were closed,
compared with 7 in 2001, 15 in 2002, and 10 in 2003.
In this paper, the police data exhibits show all
neighbor island data combined and titled “neighbor
island.” As noted earlier, these data could not be uniformly
updated for this report, and therefore they are
not considered reliable. The Honolulu data represent
regular administrative reports from the HPD.
Cocaine/Crack
Powder cocaine and crack treatment admissions declined
somewhat during the current period. There
were 172 primary cocaine treatment admissions in
the first half of 2004, suggesting a year-end total of
about 340 admissions, compared with 355 in 2003,
428 in 2002, and 433 in 2001 (exhibit 2). This shows
that the number of clients listing cocaine as the primary
drug, after being quite stable for several years,
began a decline in 1999 that continues into 2004.
Powder cocaine/crack now ranks fourth among primary
drugs of treatment admissions, after methamphetamine,
alcohol, and marijuana.
The Honolulu ME reported 22 deaths with cocainepositive
toxicology screens in 2004, compared to 26
in 2003 and 22–24 deaths in 1999–2002 (exhibit 2).
It should be remembered that data on the chart have
been adjusted to allow for their presentation on the
same axes by multiplying all death data by a constant
of 10.
According to the HPD, cocaine prices have remained
relatively stable over the past several years. Onequarter
gram of crack currently sells for $25–$30,
and the same amount of cocaine powder costs $25–
$35 (exhibit 1). Police cases increased slightly in
2004 to 239 (exhibit 3). Over the past 6 years, the
number of HPD cocaine cases plummeted from more
than 1,200 cases in 1996 to 202 in 2003.
Heroin and Other Opiates
Black tar heroin monopolizes the heroin market of
Hawai'i, and it is readily available in all areas of the
State. China white heroin has been uncommon in
Hawai’i for several years, but it is occasionally available
for a premium price. HPD data show 1,251
grams of black tar and 1.699 grams of China white
were seized in 2004. This is lower than the 3,502
grams of black tar seized in 2003 but higher than the
0.019 grams of powder seized in 2003. For 2002, 992
grams of black tar and 494 grams of powder were
seized. In 2001, 530 grams of powder were seized,
along with 3,258 grams of black tar heroin. Accord-
Proceedings of the Community Epidemiology Work Group, Vol. II, January 2005