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National Drug Intelligence Center Product No. 2003-L0559-025 September 2003
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Cover photo NDIC. Courtesy of City of Johnstown (PA) Police DepartmentPrintable brochure (494 KB pdf)
Drug Paraphernalia
Fast FactsQuestions and Answers
- What are drug paraphernalia?
- What do drug paraphernalia look like?
- Where are drug paraphernalia sold?
- What are examples of drug paraphernalia?
- Are drug paraphernalia illegal?National Drug Intelligence Center
a component of the
U.S. Department of Justice.
What are drug paraphernalia?The term drug paraphernalia refers to any equipment that is used to produce, conceal, and consume illicit drugs. It includes but is not limited to items such as bongs, roach clips, miniature spoons, and various types of pipes.
Under federal law the term drug paraphernalia means "any equipment, product or material of any kind which is primarily intended or designed for use in manufacturing, compounding, converting, concealing, producing, processing, preparing, injecting, ingesting, inhaling, or otherwise introducing into the human body a controlled substance."
What do drug paraphernalia look like?
Identifying drug paraphernalia can be challenging because products often are marketed as though they were designed for legitimate purposes. Marijuana pipes and bongs, for example, frequently carry a misleading disclaimer indicating that they are intended to be used only with tobacco products. Recognizing drug paraphernalia often involves considering other factors such as the manner in which items are displayed for sale, descriptive materials or instructions accompanying the items, and the type of business selling the items.
Postage scale frequently used to weigh drugs.
NDIC. Courtesy of City of Johnstown (PA) Police Department
Marijuana pipe hidden inside marker.
DEA
Glass and metal pipes used to smoke
crack cocaine and methamphetamine.
NDIC. Courtesy of City of Johnstown (PA) Police Department
Marijuana pipes, spoon with cocaine residue, and marijuana bong.
NDIC. Courtesy of City of Johnstown (PA) Police Department
The appearance of drug paraphernalia varies depending upon the manufacturer and intended purpose. Increasingly, bongs, pipes, and other paraphernalia are manufactured in bright, trendy colors and bear designs such as skulls, devils, dragons, and wizards. Manufacturers attempt to glamorize drug use and make their products attractive to teenagers and young adults.
Where are drug paraphernalia sold?
Drug paraphernalia can be obtained through various means. Many large manufacturers market their products over the Internet and through mail-order businesses. In addition, drug paraphernalia frequently are sold at tobacco shops, trendy gift and novelty shops, gas stations, and convenience stores.
What are examples of drug paraphernalia?
Pipes (metal, wooden, acrylic, glass,
stone, plastic, or ceramic)
Water pipes
Roach clips
Miniature spoons
Chillums (cone-shaped marijuana/hash pipes)
Bongs
Cigarette papers
Cocaine freebase kits
Are drug paraphernalia illegal?
Yes, drug paraphernalia are illegal. The drug paraphernalia statute, U. S. Code Title 21 Section 863, makes it "unlawful for any person to sell or offer for sale drug paraphernalia; to use the mails or any other facility of interstate commerce to transport drug paraphernalia; or to import or export drug paraphernalia."
Other products of interest:
Check out Fast Facts on:
- Crack cocaine
- Crystal methamphetamine
- Drug-facilitated sexual assault
- DXM
- Fentanyl
- Foxy
- Fry
- GHB and analogs
- Heroin
- Inhalants
- Jimsonweed
- Ketamine
- Khat
- LSD
- Marijuana
- MDMA
- Methadone
- Methamphetamine
- Methamphetamine laboratory hazards
- OxyContin
- PCP
- Powdered cocaine
- Prescription drugs
- Psilocybin
- Ritalin
- Rohypnol
- Salvia divinorum
- Steroids
- Teens and drugs
- Triple C
- Yaba
Also available from NDIC:
- Huffing--The Abuse of Inhalants
- Prescription Drug Abuse and Youth
- Drugs, Youth, and the Internet
For more information on illicit drugs check out our web site at: www.usdoj.gov/ndic. Call 814-532-4541 to request NDIC products.
Contact us
Our addresses:
National Drug Intelligence Center
319 Washington Street, 5th Floor
Johnstown , PA 15901-1622
Telephone: 814-532-4601
FAX: 814-532-4690NDIC Washington Liaison Office
8201 Greensboro Drive, Suite 1001
McLean , VA 22102-3840
Telephone: 703-556-8970
FAX: 703-556-7807NDIC publications are available on the following web sites:
ADNET http://ndicosa
LEO home.leo.gov/lesig/ndic
RISS ndic.riss.net
INTERNET www.usdoj.gov/ndic
End of document.