Utah

• According to preliminary 2002 data, 59.6% of the adult males who were arrested and 73.7% of adult female arrestees tested positive for drug use.
• According to preliminary 2002 data, approximately 37.3% of adult male arrestees in Salt Lake City, Utah reported using marijuana within the past month. Among the males arrested reporting past year marijuana use, the average number of days the substance was used in the past month was 8.7 days.

Drugs

• Cocaine: Local law enforcement report that cocaine is readily available in wholesale quantities in the Salt Lake City, Utah area. Prices for powder cocaine have fluctuated with some decreases from FY 1999-FY 2001.
• Heroin: In the first quarter of FY 2002, the Salt Lake City, Utah DEA reported that retail purity levels of Mexican black tar heroin and brown powdered heroin were approximately 75%. The Salt Lake County Metro Narcotics Task Force reported significant increases in availability of Mexican black tar heroin and brown powdered heroin. During the first quarter of FY 2003, the DEA reported that Mexican black tar heroin and brown powdered heroin sold for approximately $1,800 per ounce and $50-$80 per gram in the Salt Lake City, Utah area. The prices were down from $100-$150 per gram in the first quarter of FY 2002.
• Marijuana: According to the DEA, high potency and locally produced marijuana sold for approximately $2,000- $5,000 per pound, more than $100 per ounce, and $1-$5 per joint in the first quarter of 2002. Small amounts of BC Bud (high potency marijuana produced in Canada) are available.
• Methamphetamine: During the first quarter of FY 2002, meth sold for $16,000-$17,000 per pound and $1,000-$1,500 per ounce. The average purity for Methamphetamine during this time period was around 26.9%.
• Club Drugs: Ecstasy is increasingly abused and available in Salt Lake City, Utah. Wholesale quantities of LSD are sold for $250 per 100 dosage units and retail quantities sold for $5 per dosage unit during FY 2000. In FY 2001, GHB sold for $30 per dosage unit in the Salt Lake City, Utah area.

Across the United States, drug use is a cause for concern. For more and more individuals, drug use (including hard drugs like cocaine, meth, and heroin) is becoming a part of their daily lives. This raises concern that the country may be entering a period of drug use unseen since the '70s.

This increase in drug use affects not only the drug user, but also their family and friends. They suffer along with the drug addict through their ups, downs, sobriety, and intoxication. This can be very stressful for those who care about an individual with a drug addiction.

The physical and physiological health of a person who has a drug addiction is also a concern. Drug use can lead to health problems ranging from heart trouble to memory loss. These issues may have long term consequences, and at times may be deadly. Drug overdose is one such trend that is monitored across the United States. Sadly, many people die each year due to an overdose of drugs or alcohol.

Crime is also a factor when it comes to drug addiction. Many find they must spend more and more money to meet the needs of their drug addiction. This can lead to robbery, prostitution, scams and so on. Often times, those who are taken to jail are either intoxicated at the time of their arrest or are committing a crime to support their drug habit.

Although drug trends throughout the United States vary year to year, drugs are always a problem. Even when statistics are low for drug abuse, drug related crime, and drug treatment admissions, it is important to remember that it is still a cause for concern. Monitoring drug trends helps in determining where there are high amounts of drug use and how these areas may correlate with crime, addiction treatment, and health care.

This site, United States Drug Trends, will keep you informed of the current drug trends taking place throughout the United States. Use this site to educate yourself and increase your awareness of what is happening in the state you live in.