National Drug Intelligence Center   Milwaukee High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Drug Market Analysis 2008   May 2008

Abuse

Marijuana is the most widely available and abused illicit drug in the Milwaukee HIDTA region; however, the abuse of cocaine and heroin poses greater concerns to public health and law enforcement officials because of the drugs' highly addictive nature and potential for overdose. Commercial-grade and high-potency marijuana are available and abused in the region; state and local law enforcement officials report an increase in the availability of high-potency marijuana in the counties of Kenosha, Milwaukee, and Waukesha. Marijuana ranks second only to cocaine in the number of drug abuse treatment admissions in the HIDTA region.

Cocaine is readily available and abused in the area; powder cocaine is commonly abused by Hispanic and Caucasian users, and crack cocaine is typically used by African American abusers. Some younger individuals are reportedly experimenting with crack; the Racine Police Department reports an increase in crack cocaine use by students in city high schools. Over 65 percent of the publicly funded treatment admissions for cocaine abuse in Wisconsin in 2006 (the latest year for which such data are available) occurred in the HIDTA region--most of those (over 87%) occurred in Milwaukee County (see Table 1). According to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner, cocaine contributed to approximately 52 percent of all drug-related deaths in the first eight months of 2007,¹ most of which involved Caucasian (52%) and African American (45%) abusers.

Table 1. Publicly Funded Drug Abuse Treatment Admissions in Milwaukee HIDTA Counties, 2006^a

Note: Data represent admissions to government-sponsored programs and exclude Medicaid and private insurance admissions.
Source: State of Wisconsin, Department of Health and Family Services.
a. Data for 2007 will be incorporated when available in May 2008.

Heroin abuse and associated deaths have increased over the past few years in the Milwaukee HIDTA region. African Americans and Caucasians are the primary abusers of heroin in the area; Hispanics also abuse the drug, but to a lesser extent. Many current heroin abusers, particularly young Caucasians in suburban areas, initiated opiate abuse through prescription narcotics and later switched to heroin, which is typically lower in price and more readily available. For example, in 2007 oxycodone prices doubled from $0.50 per milligram to $1.00 per milligram, while heroin prices declined. Moreover, current heroin abusers have reportedly been drawn to the drug by high purity levels in the region; law enforcement officials reported heroin purity levels as high as 85 percent during 2007. High purity levels may have contributed to multiple heroin overdoses that recently occurred in the HIDTA region. According to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner, the number of heroin-related deaths doubled from 2003 (13) to 2006 (26); preliminary data for the first 8 months of 2007 reveal that 20 heroin-related deaths occurred in the region (see Table 2). Law enforcement officials report that the number of deaths would have been higher had it not been for successful first-response treatment applied to overdose victims by experienced emergency medical services (EMS) personnel. EMS providers apply a first-response treatment of Narcan,² which immediately reverses respiratory arrest caused by a heroin or other opiate overdose.

Table 2. Drug-Related Deaths in Milwaukee County, 2003-2007^*

Source: Milwaukee County Medical Examiner.
* Preliminary 2007 data through 8/31/07.
** Total drug-related deaths are lower than the sum of the deaths associated with individual drug types because of mixed drug toxicities (more than one drug associated with a single death).

Diverted pharmaceutical drugs are becoming increasingly available and abused in the HIDTA region; prescription opiates, including oxycodone, methadone, morphine, hydrocodone, codeine, fentanyl, and propoxyphene, are the most commonly abused pharmaceuticals. According to the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner, the number of opiate-related deaths in Milwaukee County increased by over 31 percent between 2003 and 2006; most were attributed to methadone, morphine, and oxycodone. Preliminary data for the first 8 months of 2007 reveal that 142 heroin- and prescription opiate-related deaths occurred in Milwaukee County (see Table 2). Benzodiazepines are also commonly abused in the region, particularly diazepam (Valium) and alprazolam (Xanax); officials in Kenosha report that abuse of these drugs, along with OxyContin, is a significant concern. Racine officials report that OxyContin and hydrocodone products are widely diverted and abused in their area. Diverted pharmaceutical drugs are obtained by distributors and abusers through various methods, including doctor-shopping, fraudulent prescriptions, and unscrupulous physicians. For instance, in February 2008 a dentist in West Allis was charged with writing more than 900 fraudulent prescriptions over a 2½-year period to sustain his addiction to painkillers.

A variety of other drugs are available and abused in the Milwaukee HIDTA region. MDMA availability and abuse have increased in the region--Asian traffickers are increasingly transporting the drug into and through the region from Canada and California. MDMA is most commonly abused by college age individuals. The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner reports a recent increase in the number of homicide victims who are testing positive for MDMA. Methamphetamine abuse is considerably low compared with the abuse of other drugs in the area. Law enforcement reporting indicates that, although limited, methamphetamine abuse occurs among Caucasian individuals in particular areas of the region. For example, methamphetamine is available in West Allis bars and nightclubs frequented by members of the region's homosexual community. Huffing (the inhalation of chemical vapors) is becoming popular in Racine County among middle school students; they are inhaling hair spray and other aerosol products.

End Notes

1. Drug-related deaths in 2007 include preliminary, partial data compiled by the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner through August 31, 2007.
2. Narcan (naloxone), also marketed as Nalone and Narcanti, is an injectable narcotic antagonist that immediately reverses respiratory arrest caused by a heroin or other opiate overdose.

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