NCJ Number
185039
Journal
Alaska Justice Forum Volume: 17 Issue: 1 Dated: Spring 2000 Pages: 1-8
Editor(s)
Antonia Moras
Date Published
2000
Length
3 pages
Annotation
A survey of 718 male and female arrestees in 1999 revealed that cocaine and marijuana were the drugs used most often by those arrested in the Anchorage, Alaska, area.
Abstract
The survey was part of the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) Program, a national research initiative originally established in 1987 as the Drug Use Forecasting Program. In 1999, 1,117 arrestees in the Anchorage area were approached, and 844 (76 percent) contributed an interview. Of those who agreed to be interviewed, 718 (85 percent) provided a urine specimen for testing. The final sample included 563 male and 155 female adult arrestees. Results showed that cocaine and marijuana were used most frequently by both male and female arrestees. Slightly more than half tested positive for any drug, while 25 percent of males and 36 percent of females tested positive for cocaine and 37 percent of males and 31 percent of females tested positive for marijuana. Less than 5 percent of those arrested tested positive for opiates or methamphetamines. Self-reported drug information showed 31 percent of males and 45 percent of females admitted using either crack or powder cocaine within the last 30 days. Among those reporting the use of either crack or powder cocaine, 108 males used crack a mean 8.8 days and females used crack a mean 12.7 days. The mean number of days for powder cocaine use was 6.5 for males and 8.6 for females. The number of days per month of reported use for marijuana was 11.2 for males and 11 for females. The authors indicate that the ADAM program is in its infancy in Alaska but that the program has the potential to increase the amount of information available to professionals throughout the State. 4 tables