Meeting participants reported that cocaine continued to be the major drug of concern throughout most CEWG areas. Increases in cocaine-related deaths were reported in Dallas, Detroit, Miami, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, and St. Louis. Other cities reported stable or slightly declining death trends. Cocaine also continued to rank highest in emergency room mentions in every CEWG city, except for San Diego and San Francisco where it ranked second. Cocaine accounted for a substantial portion of treatment clients in most CEWG areas, and crack and user-prepared freebase cocaine were reported by rising proportions of treatment admissions in most cities. Further, crack-involved babies were becoming an increasing concern in northeastern cities. Heroin- related deaths declined or remained stable in most areas but rose in Minneapolis-St. Paul, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Texas. Heroin continued to rank first among drug emergency room mentions in San Francisco and second or third in all other cities except Atlanta, Dallas, Miami, and Minneapolis. Methadone ranked fourth among New York drug emergency room mentions. The availability of methadone and other opiates declined and prices increased. Marijuana ranked second among drug emergency room mentions in Minneapolis and in all southern cities; it ranked third in Chicago, Denver, Detroit, New York, Philadelphia, and Seattle. Stimulant-related deaths were relatively low throughout CEWG areas. Such deaths declined in Los Angeles and San Francisco but increased in San Diego and Phoenix. Methamphetamine ranked highest in treatment admissions in San Diego and third in San Francisco. Diazepam emergency room mentions continued to decline steadily in Boston, New York, and Washington, D.C. Emergency room mentions involving hallucinogens declined in Los Angeles, San Francisco, St. Louis, New Orleans, Phoenix, and San Diego but increased increased in New York. Drug abuse trends in West Germany, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, and Western Europe were also examined by meeting participants. References, tables, and figures