1 - National Criminal Justice Reference Service

HIGHLIGHTS
The following highlights are from the 31st meeting of the CEWG, held in Miami, Florida (see
exhibit 1).
COCAINE
CD Cocaine-related deaths increased in 10 lof the 14 areas where death data were available.
• Cocaine ER mentions declined in every CEWG city, except for St. Louis, between the two
four-quarter periods ending March 1990 and March 1991 (see exhibit 2).
• In the first 1991 quarter, ER mentions increased in all but 6 of the 19 CEWG cities on the
DAWN network.
• Cocaine continues to rank highest in nonalcohol ER illicit drug mentions in every CEWG
city, except for San Francisco.
• Cocaine is the foremost primary drug of abuse among nonalcohol drugs in 11 out of 18
reporting areas; the proportion of primary cocaine clients is up in 10 areas.
• Smoking is up and injection and insufflation (Le., intranasal use) is down in several areas.
• Price is level or down in most areas, except in Philadelphia, while purity is up in Boston
and St. Louis and down in Seattle.
• New York crack dealers are reportedly switching to heroin sales; the city remains one of
top cocaine retail and wholesale markets.
• Law enforcement agencies refute speculation that trafficking has shifted from southern
Florida to U.S.-Mexican border.
• Cocaine is transported into Pacific Northwest via maritime transshipment and along the
Interstate-S corridor via land and air.
HEROIN
• Heroin-related deaths declined in six areas, increased in four, and are level in two.
• Heroin ER mentions increased in Newark, Philadelphia, and San Diego; they were level
or declined in the remaining 16 DAWN reporting cities.
• Heroin ranks first in nonalcohol ER illicit drug mentions in San Francisco; it ranks
relatively low in Atlanta, Dallas, Denver, Miami, Minneapolis, and St. Louis.
• Heroin is the foremost drug of abuse in Los Angeles, Newark, New York, and San
Francisco. The proportion of heroin admissions is down in four areas and up in two.
• Insufflation is up in Boston, Chicago, Honolulu, Newark, and New York.
• Prices are down or level in most areas, while purity is up or level.
• Supplies are scarce in Atlanta and New Orleans and up in Boston.
e In Chicago, brown heroin and black tar supplies are down; white heroin and "karachi"
supplies are up. Black tar is available in Denver and MinneapolisiSt. Paul, where brown
and white heroin supplies are down.
• New York remains the most significant heroin importation and distribution center; it has
an increased number of independent dealers, increased competitiveness, and more
aggressive marketing strategies.
• Southeast Asian heroin is shipped through Seattle en route to the east coast. The Arizona
and Denver heroin supplies are primarily from Mexico.
• Colombian organizations are reportedly beginning to distribute heroin in the United States.
CEWG December 1991 3
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