Drug trends over the past several years in New York City indicate the continued dominance of cocaine, especially in the form of crack. Since the beginning of the 1990's, however, heroin and marijuana trends have also shown decisive increases. As both cocaine and heroin users have become more experienced in use patterns, the "speedball" combining heroin and cocaine in various ways has become more widespread. The association between marijuana and cocaine trends appears to be less direct than the association between heroin and cocaine trends. The connection may concern the "risky" way cocaine is perceived. Consequences of cocaine use are widely known through direct contact, media coverage, and education and prevention efforts among children. Teenagers and young adults in New York City show very low cocaine use rates, and the drug scene in New York City appears to be a polydrug environment. 10 references and 3 tables