Drug Use Law Enforcement Courts & Corrections Drug Availability Drug Control Budget Sources Credits

The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) Drug Policy Information Clearinghouse has prepared this fact sheet to summarize current drug use estimates, drug-related law enforcement activities, data on drug offenders in the criminal justice system, drug availability estimates, and the historical and current Federal drug control budget.

Drug Use in the General Population

According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 2001 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, 15.9 million Americans ages 12 and older (7.1%) reported using an illicit drug in the month before the survey was conducted. More than 12% reported illicit drug use during the past year and 41.7% reported some use of an illicit drug at least once during their lifetimes.

The most common illicit drugs used by current users over the age of 12 were marijuana (12.1 million users, or 5.4% of the population), cocaine (1.7 million users, or 0.7% of the population), and hallucinogens, which include LSD, PCP, and MDMA (1.3 million users, or 0.6% of the population). Approximately 37% of those over the age of 12 reported lifetime use of marijuana, 12.3% reported lifetime use of cocaine, and 12.5% reported lifetime use of hallucinogens.

According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse's 2002 Monitoring the Future Study, 53% of high school seniors reported using an illicit drug at least once in their lives, 41% within the past year, and 25.4% within the past month.

Emergency Department and Medical Examiner Statistics

Preliminary data from SAMHSA's Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) indicate that there were 308,558 drug-related emergency department (ED) episodes in the coterminous United States from January to June 2002. An ED drug episode is an ED visit that was induced by or related to the use of an illegal drug or the nonmedical use of a legal drug for patients 6 to 97 years of age. In 2000, there were 601,563 drug-related ED episodes and, in 2001, there were 638,484.

Within the 43 metropolitan areas that submitted mortality data to DAWN for 2000, the number of drug abuse deaths ranged from 1 (Fargo, North Dakota, and Sioux Falls, South Dakota) to 1,192 (Los Angeles). Drug abuse deaths usually involve drug overdose but may also include deaths in which drug use was a contributing factor. The National Vital Statistics Report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention measures drug-induced mortalities by analyzing death certificates in the United States. In 2000, a total of 19,698 people died of drug-induced causes in the United States, up from 19,102 in 1999 and 16,926 in 1998.

Drug Use Among Arrestees and Offenders

The National Institute of Justice's Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) program conducts drug tests of urine samples voluntarily given by arrestees in participating jurisdictions. Data were collected from adult male arrestees in 33 sites and from adult female arrestees in 22 sites during 2001. Approximately 63.6% of the male arrestees and 63.9% of the female arrestees tested positive for at least one of the following drugs: cocaine, opiates, marijuana, methamphetamine, and PCP. The percentage of male arrestees who tested positive for any of these substances ranged from 49.1% in Laredo, Texas, to 83.5% in Chicago. Among female arrestees, a low of 34.7% were positive in New Orleans and a high of 80.9% were positive in Sacramento. Marijuana was the drug most commonly used by male arrestees, followed by cocaine, opiates, methamphetamine, and PCP. Cocaine was the drug most commonly used by female arrestees, followed by marijuana, methamphetamine, opiates, and PCP.

During 1999, data were collected from adult male arrestees in 34 cities, from adult female arrestees in 32 cities, from juvenile male detainees in 9 cities, and from juvenile female detainees in 6 cities. In 1999, the ADAM program found that the percentage of adult male arrestees testing positive for an illicit drug at the time of arrest ranged from 50% in San Antonio, Texas, to 77% in Atlanta, Georgia. The percentage of adult female arrestees testing positive ranged from 22% in Laredo, Texas, to 81% in New York City. Juvenile male detainees testing positive ranged from 43% in Portland, Oregon, to 69% in Phoenix, Arizona. For juvenile female detainees, the range was from 25% in San Antonio, Texas, to 48% in San Diego, California.

In 1998, approximately 138,000 convicted jail inmates were under the influence of drugs at the time of the offense that resulted in their incarceration. About 72,000 had used marijuana or hashish and 59,000 had used cocaine or crack. An estimated 61,000 reported that they had committed their offense to get money for drugs. About 55% had used drugs in the month before committing the offense.

Among State prisoners expected to be released by the end of 1999,

• 83.9% were involved with alcohol or drugs at the time of their offense.
• 58.8% had used drugs in the month before their offense.
• 45.3% had used drugs at the time of the offense.
• 24.8% had used intravenous drugs in the past.
• 20.9% committed their offense to get money for drugs.

Drug Use Costs to Society

In 2000, Americans spent an estimated $36 billion on cocaine, $11 billion on marijuana, $10 billion on heroin, $5.4 billion on methamphetamine, and $2.4 billion on other illegal substances. Projected estimates indicate that approximately 260 metric tons of cocaine and 13.3 metric tons of heroin were consumed by U.S. drug users during 2000.

In 1992, the overall cost of drug abuse to society was approximately $102 billion. The projected overall cost reached $160.7 billion in 2000.

Drug Enforcement Operations

The 1999 Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS) Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics survey of State and local law enforcement agencies found that 76% of State law enforcement agencies had primary responsibility for enforcing drug laws in their jurisdictions. Also, 90% of county police departments, 99% of municipal police departments, and 95% of sheriffs' departments had primary responsibility for drug law enforcement.

Arrests

Of the 115,589 offenders arrested by Federal law enforcement agencies in 2000, 28% were arrested for drug offenses. Of the 35,000 arrests made in 2001 by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), 38.8% involved cocaine, 9.4% involved heroin, 19.7% involved marijuana, and 32.0% involved other drugs, including stimulants (e.g., methamphetamine), depressants (e.g., barbiturates), and hallucinogens (e.g., LSD and PCP).

In 2001, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) reported 13,699,254 State and local arrests throughout the United States. There were 627,132 arrests for violent crimes (murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault) and 1,618,465 arrests for property crimes (burglary, larceny/theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson). Arrests for drug abuse violations represented 11.6% of all State and local arrests reported to the FBI during 2001, with 1,586,902 drug arrests reported. The remaining arrests were for all other offenses, such as nonaggravated assaults, fraud, driving under the influence, and disorderly conduct.

Drug Seizures

Many Federal agencies are involved in the removal of illicit drugs from the market. The Federal-Wide Drug Seizure System (FDSS) contains information about drug seizures made within the jurisdiction of the United States by the FBI, DEA, U.S. Customs Service (USCS), and U.S. Border Patrol as well as maritime seizures made by the U.S. Coast Guard. FDSS eliminates duplicate reporting of seizures involving more than one Federal agency.

From 1975 to 2001, DEA seized 16,054 illegal drug laboratories, of which 13,931 were used to produce methamphetamine. Of the 1,490 illegal drug laboratories seized by DEA in 2001, 1,445 were methamphetamine labs.

During 2000, DEA and State/local law enforcement agencies reported the seizure of 6,759 clandestine laboratories to the El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC). Preliminary data reported to EPIC for January through August 2001 show that 3,321 labs were seized during this 8-month period. These numbers are up from the 912 seized labs that were reported to EPIC during 1995.

DEA seized more than 3 million MDMA tablets during 2000, compared with 196 tablets in 1993. USCS also reported a large increase, seizing 3.5 million MDMA tablets in 1999 and 9.3 million tablets in 2000.

Asset Seizures

As a result of drug-related investigations, DEA made 14,632 domestic seizures of nondrug property valued at approximately $425 million in FY 2001.

Law Enforcement Officers Killed

FBI data indicate that 51 Federal, State, and local law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty during 2000. Of these 51 officers, 3 were killed while investigating drug-related situations. From 1991 to 2000, a total of 33 law enforcement officers were killed as a result of drug-related matters. Fifteen of the 65 people identified for killing law enforcement officers in 2000 had prior arrests for violating drug laws.

Federal Offenders

From October 1, 1999, to September 30, 2000, of the 76,952 defendants in U.S. district courts, 27,274 (35.4%) had committed a drug offense. Most (93.8%) of these drug offenders had committed a trafficking offense, and 91.2% of all drug defendants were convicted. Of the 24,206 drug defendants convicted and sentenced in U.S. district courts,

• 22,197 (91.7%) received a term of incarceration.
• 155 (0.6%) received a mixed sentence.
• 1,130 (4.7%) received probation.
• 51 (0.2%) received a fine.
• 649 (2.7%) received another type of sentence.

During 2000, the average incarceration sentence length received by Federal drug offenders was 75.6 months.

Offenders in State Courts

According to the BJS National Judicial Reporting Program, 195,183 people were convicted in State courts of drug trafficking in 1998. That same year, 119,443 were convicted of drug possession.

In 1998, 68% of the convicted drug offenders were sentenced to incarceration: 26% to jail and 42% to prison. Of the felons sent to State prison for drug offenses, the average sentence length was 47 months, with approximately 19 months actually served in prison. In 1990, the average sentence length imposed for drug traffickers was 74 months. In 1998, the average was 54 months for traffickers.

About 95.2% (299,462) of the felony drug convictions in State courts resulted from guilty pleas entered by the defendant, and the remainder were the results of trials.

Drug Courts

Since first established in Miami, Florida, in 1989, drug courts have served as an important step in diverting nonviolent offenders with drug problems into treatment and other community-based services. Drug court participants undergo long-term treatment and counseling, sanctions, incentives, and frequent court appearances. Upon successful completion of the treatment program, participants' charges may be dismissed or sentences may be reduced or set aside.

As of January 8, 2003, there were 1,424 drug courts in existence or being planned in the United States. According to the Office of Justice Programs Drug Court Clearinghouse and Technical Assistance Project at American University, approximately 140,000 drug-using offenders have participated in drug court programs since their inception. In 1997, data from the 200 oldest drug courts showed that approximately 70% of all offenders entering drug courts since 1989 have either successfully completed their drug court program or were still actively participating in the program.

Because drug court programs test defendants for drug use on a regular basis (typically at least weekly), the use of drugs by defendants is substantially reduced and significantly lower than drug use reported by defendants in regular courts. Drug use by participants who graduate from drug court programs is eliminated altogether for most participants.

Drug court programs also experience a significant reduction in recidivism among participants. Depending on participant characteristics, recidivism among all drug court participants ranges between 5% and 28% and is less than 4% for drug court graduates.

In addition to a reduction in drug use and recidivism, drug courts also serve as a less expensive alternative to incarcerating nonviolent drug offenders. Incarceration of drug-using offenders costs between $20,000 and $50,000 per person per year, and the cost of building a prison cell can be as much as $80,000. A comprehensive drug court system, on the other hand, typically costs less than $2,500 annually for each offender.

Corrections

From 1990 to 2000, the number of drug offenders in State prison increased from approximately 149,700 to 251,100. During this time, drug offenders accounted for 20% of total growth in the State prison population, whereas violent offenders accounted for 53%.

In 1999, drug offenders in State prison served approximately 43% of their sentences, an average of 27 months, before being released. This is up from an average of 20 months served before release in 1990.

The Federal prison population increased by 9,042 admissions from October 1, 1999, to September 30, 2000. Of the 9,042 admissions, 4,389 were for drug offenses. On September 30, 2000, there were 73,389 drug offenders in Federal prisons, of which 99.2% (72,775) had committed a trafficking offense.

As of October 2001, 55.5% of sentenced prisoners in Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facilities were drug offenders. In comparison, in 1970 approximately 16% of BOP-sentenced prisoners were drug offenders.

Offenders on Probation

On December 31, 2001, a total of 3,932,751 adult men and women were on probation in the United States. Approximately 25% of these probationers had committed a drug law violation.

Offenders on Parole

Since 1990, the number of drug offenders released from State prison each year has continued to increase, reaching 177,000 in 1999. Nearly 33% of releases from State prison in 1999 were drug offenders, up from 26% in 1990 and 11% in 1985.

Drug offenders accounted for 61% of the increase in releases from State prison to parole supervision between 1990 and 1999. Of the State prisoners who were released unconditionally as a result of an expiration of their sentence during 1999, 24% were drug offenders.

Price and Purity

Based on field investigations and laboratory analysis of DEA drug buys and seizures, DEA’s System to Retrieve Information from Drug Evidence (STRIDE) provides national ranges for price and purity estimates of cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and methamphetamine.

In 2001, wholesale cocaine prices nationwide ranged from $12,000 to $35,000 per kilogram. In 2000,the price for South American heroin ranged from $50,000 to $200,000 per kilogram, Southeast and Southwest Asian heroin ranged from $40,000 to $190,000 per kilogram,and Mexican heroin cost between $13,200 and $175,000 per kilogram. Methamphetamine prices at the distribution level ranged from $3,500 per pound inareas of California and Texas to $21,000 per pound in the Eastern United States. Retail methamphetamine prices ranged from $400 to $3,000 per ounce.

Commercial-grade marijuana prices have remained relatively stable during the past decade, ranging from $400 to $1,000 per pound in Southwest border areas and $700 to $2,000 per pound in the Midwest and Northeast. The national price range for sinsemilla, a higher quality of marijuana, is $900 to $6,000 per pound. BC Bud, a type of marijuana produced in Canada, sells for $5,000 to $8,000 per pound in most major U.S. metropolitan areas. Variables such as buyer/seller relationships, quantities purchased, frequencies of purchase, and purity affect drug prices.

In 2001, the average purity of a kilogram of cocaine was 73%. The nationwide average purity for heroin from all sources in 2000 was approximately 37%, while 20 years ago the average heroin purity was 7%. The rise in average purity is related to the increased availability of high-purity South American heroin. Average heroin purity broken down by source area was 48.1% for South American heroin, 34.6% for Southwest Asian heroin, and 20.8% for Mexican heroin. The average purity of methamphetamine seized by DEA dropped from 71.9% in 1994 to 30.7% in 1999. The purity rose to 35.3% in 2000 and 40.1% in 2001.

According to the Marijuana Potency Monitoring Project, the average potency of samples of all cannabis types increased from 3% in 1991 to 5.2% in 2001. The potency of commercial-grade marijuana increased from 3.1% to 5% during the same period. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, commercial-grade marijuana purity levels were less than 2%. The potency of sinsemilla was approximately 6% in the late 1970s and early 1980s, 10.5% in 1991, 5.8% in 1993, 13.4% in 1999, and 9.1% in 2001.

Production

Data from the U.S. Department of State’s 2001 International Narcotics Control Strategy Report show that Colombia remains the world’s foremost coca cultivation country, with Peru and Bolivia trailing a distant second and third, respectively. U.S. Government surveys show a drop in coca cultivation of approximately 70% in Peru and Bolivia from 1995 to 2001.

The principal heroin threat to the United States comes from poppy cultivation in Colombia and Mexico. Although between them these two countries only account for a fraction of the world’s estimated production, most of the heroin entering the United States originates in these countries.

To bring greater accountability to drug control efforts,a significant restructuring of the drug control budget has occurred. The FY 2004 budget reflects the new methods used to report the drug control budget. Because of the new reporting methods, previous years’ budget amounts will vary from how they are reported in the FY2004 budget.

The new reporting will be based on the following guidelines:

• All funding items displayed in the drug control budget should be readily identifiable line items in the President’s budget or agency budget justifications.
• The budget presentation should be simplified by eliminating several supporting agencies from the drug control budget tabulation. Only agencies with a primary supply or demand reduction mission will be displayed in the budget. Agencies with no or little direct involvement in drug control will be excluded from the revised drug control budget presentation.

The requested drug control budget amount for FY 2004 is $11.7 billion

	This fact sheet was prepared by Michele Spiess of the ONDCP Drug Policy Information Clearinghouse. The data presented are as accurate as the sources from which they were drawn. Responsibility for data selection and presentation rests with the Clearinghouse staff. The Clearinghouse is funded by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy to support drug control policy research. The Clearinghouse is a component of the National Criminal Justice Reference Service. For further information about the contents or sources used for the production of this fact sheet or about other drug policy issues, call: 1–800–666–3332 Write the Drug Policy Information Clearinghouse, P.O. Box 6000, Rockville, MD 20849–6000, or visit the World Wide Web site at: www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov NCJ–191351

Download Adobe Acrobat Reader