Subjects interviewed to collect data on drug abuse patterns were primarily young adults with a median age of 20 years; 84 percent of males and 77 percent of females were either black or Puerto Rican. Preliminary data indicated that 6,766 alleged offenses were committed by 38 male addicts over a median period of 4 years and that 6,425 alleged offenses were committed by 32 female addicts over a median period of 3 years. Further, data suggested that only one crime was cleared by arrest for every 120 offenses committed. The authors conclude that crime rates among specific population groups may be much higher than rates reflected in official criminal statistics. 7 references and 3 tables