CEWG January 09 Full Report - National Institute on Drug Abuse

EpidEmiologic TrEnds in drug AbusE: HigHligHTs And ExEcuTivE summAry
• The Detroit <strong>CEWG</strong> representative reported an
increase in heroin-related treatment admissions,
and an increase in the percentage of White
non-Hispanic clients among those admissions
during the current reporting period.
• The Phoenix area member reported that
although Arizona has been almost exclusively
a black tar heroin area for decades, recent law
enforcement seizures indicate that Phoenix
may now serve as a feeder city for white heroin
arriving from Mexico. Law enforcement sources
indicate that the white heroin is being transported
to wholesale distribution markets in the
Midwest and Northeast. To date, white heroin
has not been encountered by local wholesale or
street level distributors based in the Phoenix
area.
• Heroin primary treatment admissions, as a percentage
of total admissions, including primary
alcohol admissions, were particularly high in
Baltimore City (approximately 55 percent), followed
by Boston (approximately 48 percent)
in the first half of 2008. In both Baltimore City
and Boston, along with Detroit, heroin primary
admissions ranked first as the most frequent
substance abuse admissions in the reporting
period (section II, table 2; section IV, table 4;
appendix table 1).
• In 16 of 22 <strong>CEWG</strong> areas, heroin items accounted
for less than 10 percent of total drug items identified
in NFLIS forensic laboratories in the first
half of 2008. Proportions were highest in Baltimore
City and Maryland (approximately 22 and
20 percent, respectively). They were lowest in
Texas and Atlanta, at approximately 2 percent
of drug items identified (section IV, figure 16;
appendix table 2). Heroin was not ranked first
in drug items identified in forensic laboratories
in any <strong>CEWG</strong> area (section II, table 1).
• According to the DEA’s HDMP, in CY 2007, SA
heroin continued to be the primary source of
heroin east of the Mississippi River, as has been
the case since the mid-1990s, while Mexican
black tar and, to a lesser extent, Mexican brown
powder heroin dominated markets west of the
Mississippi (section IV, figure 17). The HDMP
also reported that in 2007, for the second straight
year, no Southeast Asian heroin was purchased
through the program in any areas. However,
Southwest Asian heroin, although limited, was
purchased in these <strong>CEWG</strong> areas: Atlanta, Baltimore,
Chicago, Detroit, and Washington, DC.
The number of samples of Southwest Asian
heroin purchased rose from 12 in 2006 to 27
samples in 2007.
• From 2006 to 2007, average purity levels for SA
heroin increased in 6 of 10 <strong>CEWG</strong> areas, in contrast
to 2005–2006, when purity levels remained
stable or declined in most areas. These six areas
were Philadelphia, New York City, Detroit, Chicago,
St. Louis, and Washington, DC (section
IV, table 5).
• Over the 1-year period from 2006 to 2007, average
prices for SA heroin fell in 6 of 10 <strong>CEWG</strong>
areas (Atlanta, Chicago, St. Louis, Miami, Boston,
and Washington, DC) and rose in 4 (Philadelphia,
New York City, Baltimore City, and
Detroit) (section IV, table 5).
• From 2006 to 2007, Mexican heroin average
purity declined in five <strong>CEWG</strong> areas (San Diego,
El Paso, San Antonio, Houston, and San Francisco).
Average purity increased in four areas
(Seattle, Phoenix, Denver, and Dallas), and
remained constant in one area (Los Angeles).
The average price was lower or the same in
2007, compared with 2006, in 7 of 10 reporting
<strong>CEWG</strong> areas, namely Seattle, Phoenix, Denver,
San Diego, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Houston,
but was higher in El Paso, San Antonio, and San
Francisco (section IV, table 6).
Other Opiates/Narcotic Analgesics
• In the first half of 2008, indicators for opiates
other than heroin were reported for selected narcotic
analgesics, including oxycodone, hydrocodone,
methadone, fentanyl, and buprenorphine,
by <strong>CEWG</strong> area members in Update Briefs and
meeting presentations.
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Proceedings of the Community Epidemiology Work Group, <strong>January</strong> 20<strong>09</strong>