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National Drug Intelligence Center

Title:

National Drug Threat Assessment 2003

Publication Date: January 2003

Document ID: 2003-Q0317-001

Archived on: January 1, 2006. This document may contain dated information. It remains available to provide access to historical materials.

The National Drug Threat Assessment merges foreign and domestic counterdrug intelligence and information on domestic drug trends in a single report. It integrates the most recently available reporting from national-level law enforcement and intelligence agencies with the most current national substance abuse indicator data from public health agencies to accurately and reliably depict the current domestic drug situation. The report also draws on information from nearly 2,900 state and local law enforcement agencies that responded to our National Drug Threat Survey 2002 as well as from more than a thousand personal interviews with law enforcement and public health officials.
Your questions, comments, and suggestions for future subjects are welcome at any time. Addresses are provided at the end of the page.

Contents

From the Director

Executive Summary

Scope and Methodology

Cocaine and Crack
Availability
Demand
Production
Transportation
     Mexico-Central America Corridor
     Caribbean Corridor
     Direct to the Continental United States
Distribution
     Primary Market Areas
Key Developments
Projections

Methamphetamine
Availability
Demand
Production
     Domestic Production
     Foreign Production
Transportation
     Transportation of Domestically Produced Methamphetamine
     Transportation of Foreign-Produced Methamphetamine
Distribution
     Primary Market Areas
Key Developments
Projections

Marijuana
Availability
Demand
Production
Transportation
Distribution
     Primary Market Areas
Key Developments
Projections

Heroin
Availability
Demand
Production
Transportation
     Mexican Heroin
     South American Heroin
     Southeast Asian Heroin
     Southwest Asian Heroin
Distribution
     Primary Market Areas
Key Developments
Projections
MDMA
Availability
Demand
Production
Transportation
Distribution
     Primary Market Areas
Key Developments
Projections
Other Dangerous Drugs
Club Drugs
     GHB
     Ketamine
     Rohypnol
Hallucinogens
     LSD
     PCP
     Psilocybin

Pharmaceuticals
Narcotics
Depressants
Stimulants

Money Laundering

Appendix A: National Drug Threat Survey 2002 Methodology

Appendix B: Selected National Substance Abuse Indicators

Sources

List of Figures

Figure 1. Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Regions
Figure 2. Greatest Drug Threat Percentage of State & Local Agencies Reporting
Figure 3. Regional Drug Availability Percentage of State & Local Agencies Reporting High Availability
Figure 4. Primary Market Areas
Figure 5. Cocaine Flows to the United States
Figure 6. Primary Market Areas: Cocaine
Figure 7. Primary Market Areas: Methamphetamine
Figure 8. Primary Market Areas: Marijuana
Figure 9. Primary Market Areas: Heroin
Figure 10. Primary Market Areas: MDMA

List of Tables

Table A1. NDTS 2002 Sample Design
Table A2. NDTS 2002 Response Rates by OCDETF Region
Table B1. Percentage of NHSDA Respondents Reporting Use of Specific Drugs in Their Lifetime, by Age Group, 1997-2001
Table B2. Percentage of NHSDA Respondents Reporting Use of Specific Drugs in the Past Year, by Age Group, 1997-2001
Table B3. Percentage of NHSDA Respondents Reporting Use of Specific Drugs in the Past Month, by Age Group, 1997-2001
Table B4. MTF: Trends in Lifetime Prevalence of Use of Various Drugs for Eighth, Tenth, and Twelfth Graders, 1998-2002 (%)
Table B5. MTF: Trends in Current Prevalence of Use of Various Drugs for Eighth, Tenth, and Twelfth Graders, 1998-2002 (%)
Table B6. MTF: Trends in Past Year Prevalence of Use of Various Drugs for Eighth, Tenth, and Twelfth Graders, 1998-2002 (%)
Table B7. PRIDE: Percentage of Past Year Drug Use by Junior and Senior High School Students and 12th Graders, 1997-1998 through 2001-2002 School Years
Table B8. PRIDE: Percentage of Current Drug Use by Junior and Senior High School Students and 12th Graders, 1997-1998 through 2001-2002 School Years
Table B9. DAWN: Estimated Number of Emergency Department Drug Mentions and Mentions of Selected Drugs by Year, 1994-2001
Table B10. Treatment Admissions and Admissions by Selected Primary Substances of Abuse, TEDS 1994-2001

From the Director:

I am pleased to present the National Drug Threat Assessment 2003. Prepared annually by the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC) in partnership with federal, state, and local agencies, this report is designed to provide policymakers and law enforcement personnel at all levels with information for their use in formulating counterdrug policy, establishing law enforcement priorities, and allocating resources.

The National Drug Threat Assessment merges foreign and domestic counterdrug intelligence and information on domestic drug trends in a single report. It integrates the most recently available reporting from national-level law enforcement and intelligence agencies with the most current national substance abuse indicator data from public health agencies to accurately and reliably depict the current domestic drug situation. The report also draws on information from nearly 2,900 state and local law enforcement agencies that responded to our National Drug Threat Survey 2002 as well as from more than a thousand personal interviews with law enforcement and public health officials.

I would like to thank all participating agencies and organizations without whose contributions this assessment would not have been possible. The assistance they provided and the detailed information they contributed have been invaluable in the production of this assessment.

I encourage you to review the National Drug Threat Assessment 2003 and provide feedback on the enclosed Reader Comment Card. I appreciate your assistance and look forward to collaborating on future projects.

Michael T. Horn
January 2003

Addresses

National Drug Intelligence Center
319 Washington Street, 5th Floor
Johnstown, PA 15901
Tel. (814) 532-4601
FAX (814) 532-4690
E-mail NDIC.Contacts@usdoj.gov
National Drug Intelligence Center
8201 Greensboro Drive, Suite 1001
McLean, VA 22102-3840
Tel. (703) 556-8970
FAX (703) 556-7807

Web Addresses

ADNET: http://ndicosa
      DOJ: http://www.usdoj.gov/ndic/
      LEO: home.leo.gov/lesig/ndic/
     RISS: ndic.riss.net

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