NCJ Number
227262
Journal
Global Crime Volume: 10 Issue: 1-2 Dated: February-May 2009 Pages: 113-123
Date Published
February 2009
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This study examined whether there was evidence of distinct retail markets for crystalline methamphetamine and domestically produced forms of the drug.
Abstract
Results indicate that the involvement of various organized crime groups in methamphetamine supply, and the various forms of the drug they are suspected to be involved in trafficking, is not necessarily reflected as distinct retail markets for methamphetamine in Sydney, Australia. Variations in the marketing of methamphetamine may provide tell-tale signs of its high-level supply but these markets converge at a retail level, such that they are accessed by a common group of consumers. In particular, it was found that the consumer market for crystalline methamphetamine almost completely overlapped with that for other forms of the drug and that the characteristics of their retail markets were almost identical. Perhaps the inclination to focus on the market for each form of methamphetamine as a separate entity has shifted the focus from the more important issue of overall consumption and harm from methamphetamine. Analysis needs to be cautious about the implications of attempting to segregate this market into its various components, particularly if this should occur at the expense of understanding the composite market for the drug. Data were collected from 309 methamphetamine users living in Sydney, Australia. 1 table and 1 figure