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North Carolina Drug Threat Assessment 2003

NCJ Number
204357
Date Published
April 2003
Length
42 pages
Annotation
This document discusses the status and outlook of the drug threat to the State of North Carolina.
Abstract
The production, distribution, and abuse of illicit drugs and the diversion and abuse of pharmaceuticals pose serious threats to North Carolina. Cocaine represents the principal drug threat followed by marijuana. Cocaine, particularly crack, poses an extreme drug threat. Distribution and abuse of crack cocaine frequently are associated with violent crime throughout the State. The number of treatment admissions for cocaine abuse increased 21 percent from fiscal year 1996 through fiscal year 1999. The number of cocaine-related deaths increased 12 percent from 1999 through 2000. Most of the powdered cocaine is transported into the State in commercial and private vehicles from Mexico and Southwestern States. Marijuana is the most readily available and widely abused drug. Outdoor cannabis cultivation is widespread in the State. Methamphetamine is a growing threat to the State. It has replaced crack cocaine in some counties as the principal drug threat because it is increasingly available and abused, is less expensive, and produces longer-lasting effects. Heroin is available and abused most commonly in urban areas and is rarely available in rural areas. Most heroin abusers in North Carolina are older, chronic abusers that inject the drug. But recently a younger, middle-class population has begun to abuse the drug. High purity heroin allows abusers to effectively snort or smoke the drug and avoid the health hazards and social stigma associated with injecting drugs. Among other dangerous drugs, including the stimulant MDMA; the depressant GHB and its analogs; the hallucinogens LSD, ketamine, and PCP; and diverted pharmaceuticals, particularly OxyContin, are a growing threat to the State.