Its proximity to New York City, Philadelphia, and Baltimore, along with its well-developed transportation infrastructure make the District of Columbia an important node in the drug transportation network along the eastern seaboard. Cocaine, both powdered and crack, is the primary drug threat. The level of cocaine abuse is decreasing but remains high; the number of treatment admissions associated with cocaine abuse is higher than the number associated with any other illicit drug except heroin. Cocaine is readily available throughout the District and is seized more often in the District than any other illicit drug except marijuana. Cocaine prices, already relatively low, are decreasing at the retail level, indicating an increasing supply of cocaine in the District. Low cost, high-purity South American heroin is nearly as serious a threat as cocaine. Younger drug users are abusing such heroin at an increasing rate, and the higher purity levels increase the risk of an overdose. Marijuana is the most widely available and frequently abused illicit drug in the District. Other dangerous drugs, notably the hallucinogen PCP and the club drugs MDMA and GHB and its analogs, are readily available in the District. PCP abuse is apparently increasing rapidly, as the number of PCP-related arrests in 2002 increased fourfold from 2001. The potential for PCP-related violence makes this drug a serious threat. The diversion of pharmaceutical drugs such as OxyContin is an increasing problem in the District. The production, distribution, and abuse of methamphetamine pose a low threat to the District. An assessment of the future concludes that the trends noted in this report are likely to continue. 2 tables and 5 references