NCJ Number
203662
Journal
Alaska Justice Forum Volume: 19 Issue: 4 Dated: Winter 2003 Pages: 1-12
Date Published
2003
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This document discusses drug use trends among arrestees in Anchorage (Alaska) from 1999-2001.
Abstract
According to the data assembled under the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring Program (ADAM), about one out of every two arrestees in Anchorage tests positive for recent drug use. Marijuana appears to be the illicit drug of choice, particularly for arrestees under the age of 30. Data show heavy alcohol consumption to be common among the adult arrestee population. Ninety percent of male respondents indicated that they had at least five or more drinks of alcohol on the same day at least once in their lifetime. Although among female arrestees there was a lower rate of alcohol use, the extent of use was still far-reaching (82 percent). There is not continuing in-State measurement of illicit drug use among the Alaska population, although a number of State agencies have occasionally assembled data that contribute to the picture of drug use as a whole. It is estimated that nearly 40,000 people may need treatment of some kind for substance abuse. The substance most widely abused is alcohol. When asked to identify their level of satisfaction with the quality of life in their neighborhood and in their city, more than 92 percent of Anchorage respondents were satisfied or very satisfied with the quality of life in their neighborhood. As a group, the respondents were more satisfied with the quality of life within their neighborhoods than they were with the quality of life in the city as a whole. The most commonly cited disorderly condition in the neighborhood was poor neighborhood lighting. Only about 1 in 5 respondents acknowledged being very fearful or somewhat fearful of crime in their neighborhood. 1 figure, 3 tables