CEWG January 09 Full Report - National Institute on Drug Abuse

Section III. <strong>CEWG</strong> Area Update Briefs and International Presentations
first half of 2008. Data on drug items identified
in forensic laboratories from drug samples submitted
for analysis were obtained from NFLIS,
DEA, for <strong>January</strong>–June 2008. Drug testing results
for law enforcement seizures in King County were
reported by the county where the drug was seized.
Unweighted ED drug reports data were obtained
from DAWN Live!, Offce of Applied Studies, Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration,
for the first half 2008. Data were accessed
December 22, 2008. Data completeness for the
first half of 2008 (for 25 eligible EDs) was as follows:
11 to 12 of the EDs reported basically complete
data (90 percent or greater) each month, and
13 to 15 reported no data. Drug treatment data
were provided by Washington State Department
of Social and Health Services, Division of Alcohol
and Substance Abuse, Treatment <strong>Report</strong> and
Generation Tool from 1999–June 2008. Treatment
modalities included outpatient, intensive inpatient,
recovery house, long-term residential, and opiate
substitution admissions. Department of Corrections
and private-pay admissions are included.
Methamphetamine incident data were provided
by the Washington State Department of Ecology for
1990–June 2008.
Drug Abuse Patterns and Trends in
St. Louis—Update: <strong>January</strong> 20<strong>09</strong>
Heidi Israel, Ph.D., M.S.N., LCSW
For inquiries concerning this report, please contact
Heidi Israel, Ph.D., M.S.N., LCSW, Assistant Professor,
Orthopaedic Surgery, Saint Louis University
School of Medicine, 3635 Vista, FDT 7 N, St. Louis,
MO 63110, Phone: 314–577–8851, Fax: 314–268–
5121, E-mail: israelha@slu.edu.
Overview of Findings: Many of the indicators
for the major substances of abuse have
remained relatively stable or were mixed through
the first half of 2008. Alcohol and all drug categories
have shown some increase in treatment
admissions, but deaths and arrests appear more
stable. Anecdotal information indicates that heroin
use and availability may have increased as well
as treatment admissions. While cocaine indicators
have increased in treatment admissions data,
death data for St. Louis City and County appear
to have stabilized during both 6-month reporting
periods (death data were reported for the second
half of 2007 and the first half of 2008). Prescription
narcotic analgesics were also reported to be
available in the more rural areas of the St. Louis
Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). Indicators
for both cocaine and the opiates will need continued
monitoring to determine if there have been
changes in these markets or in the user populations.
Methamphetamine indicators have been
stable in the last 6 months.
Updated Drug Abuse Trends and Emerging
Patterns: Alcohol was the primary drug of
abuse for those entering publicly-funded treatment
programs in Missouri. Treatment admissions
increased from 2006 to 2007 and again in
2008, and alcohol was frequently indicated as a
secondary drug of abuse. The Youth Risk Behavioral
Surveillance System (YRBS) survey indicated
no change in lifetime use of alcohol and
cigarettes in 2007, compared with 2005. Cocaine
indicators, in general, were stable over the past
12 months. YRBS current cocaine use indicators
were stable in 2007, compared with 2005, while
treatment admissions and deaths increased in the
last 6 months of 2008. Cocaine continues to be
St. Louis City’s primary drug problem, and timelier
multiple indicator data are needed to develop
a better picture of the cocaine situation in the
region. It is believed that Mexican-controlled distribution
chains may be increasing in urban areas
of St. Louis and possibly organizing networks that
control distribution of multiple drugs. <strong>National</strong>
Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC) reports showed
an increase in street prices for crack/cocaine in
2007. The heroin market in the St. Louis Region
has grown and become more complex over the
past few reporting periods. From 2006 to 2007,
treatment admissions increased by 11.2 percent,
and increased another 44 percent in the first half
of 2008. YRBS lifetime use was stable from 2005
to 2007, at 2.7 percent (95-percent Confidence
Proceedings of the Community Epidemiology Work Group, <strong>January</strong> 20<strong>09</strong> 67