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NDIC seal linked to Home page. National Drug Intelligence Center
Delaware Drug Threat Assessment Update
May 2003

Other Dangerous Drugs

The availability and abuse of other dangerous drugs (ODDs), principally MDMA and some diverted pharmaceuticals, pose an increasing threat to Delaware. MDMA is distributed and abused primarily by teenagers and young adults at nightclubs and on college campuses. Diverted pharmaceuticals typically are distributed from private residences and bars and are abused by individuals of various socioeconomic classes, age groups, and ethnic backgrounds.

 

MDMA

Also known as ecstasy, MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine) is the most widely available and frequently abused ODD in Delaware. Distribution and abuse of the drug are increasing in the state. Four of the five law enforcement respondents to the NDTS 2002 in Delaware reported that the availability of MDMA is medium or high in their jurisdictions. Caucasian criminal groups and independent dealers are the primary transporters of MDMA into the state; they also serve as the primary wholesale-level distributors. However, Dominican criminal groups increasingly are transporting MDMA into the state and distributing it. Most of the MDMA available in Delaware is obtained in Philadelphia or New York City and transported back to the state via private vehicles. The Delaware State Police report that MDMA also is transported directly into the state from Amsterdam via package delivery services. Once in the state, MDMA usually is distributed and abused at nightclubs and on college campuses by teenagers and young adults. The DEA Wilmington Resident Office reports that wholesale quantities of MDMA sold for $11.50 to $20 per tablet, and retail quantities sold for $20 to $30 per tablet in Delaware in the first quarter of FY2003.

 

Diverted Pharmaceuticals

Pharmaceutical diversion and abuse pose a growing threat to Delaware. OxyContin, Ritalin, Vicodin, and Xanax are the most commonly diverted and abused pharmaceuticals in the state. Pharmaceuticals are obtained through diversion techniques including prescription fraud, improper prescribing practices by physicians, theft, and doctor shopping--a practice in which individuals visit multiple doctors to obtain pharmaceuticals in excess of what should be legitimately prescribed.

Caucasian local independent dealers and abusers are the primary retail-level distributors of diverted pharmaceuticals in Delaware. Pharmaceuticals commonly are distributed from private residences and bars. According to the DEA Wilmington Resident Office, diverted OxyContin sold for $40 to $80 per 80-milligram tablet ($0.50 to $1 per milligram) in the first quarter of FY2003. The DEA Wilmington Resident Office did not report prices for diverted Ritalin, Vicodin, or Xanax.

 


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