Maryland Statewide Epidemiology Work Group May 1993 Meeting Proceedings, Volume II: Meeting Reports

• NCJ Number: 161251
• Author(s): J DeWeese; H Liu; M Gambrill; T Levering; P Canter; J S Henry; M Williams-Yeager; M Fuller; J Stauder
• Date Published: 1993
• Length: 120 pages
• Sponsoring Agency: Maryland Governor's Drug and Alcohol Abuse Cmssn
• Corporate Author: Ctr for Substance Abuse Research (CESAR)
• Sale Source: Ctr for Substance Abuse Research (CESAR)
• Publication Type: Conference Material
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: DCC.

Annotation

Volume II of the proceedings of the semiannual meeting of the Maryland Statewide Epidemiology Work Group (May 1993) contains complete reports submitted by four local drug epidemiology networks (DENs) that participated in the May meeting, as well as the list of core Maryland drug abuse indicators.

Abstract

Each DEN -- composed of representatives from local law enforcement, treatment, prevention, education, and public health agencies -- meets regularly to analyze local indicators for patterns and trends in the local drug problem. The DEN reports presented in this volume are for Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Harford County, Prince George's County, and St. Mary's County. The Baltimore City report notes that problems related to heroin and cocaine use continue to increase in the Baltimore area. A substantial number of Baltimore adolescents use "gateway" substances such as beer, wine, liquor, and cigarettes. The proportion of teenage users increases with age. In Baltimore City, the incidence of AIDS nearly doubled in the past 5 years, increasing from 328 new cases in 1988 to 642 in 1992. Of Drug- related deaths in Maryland in 1992, more than 80 percent occurred in the Baltimore Metropolitan Area. The report for Baltimore County provides information on arrests of juveniles for drug possession, juvenile justice intakes for alcohol abuse, and juvenile drug treatment admissions. The Harford County DEN report highlights data on juveniles from a number of sources. The focus of the analysis is on using data for planning prevention programs and targeting certain age groups or geographic areas. The Prince George's County DEN report considers funding reductions that decreased drug treatment capacity in fiscal year 1991, the lack of a systematic way to test pregnant patients for substance abuse, and the rate of AIDS cases. The St. Mary's County report notes that alcohol continues to be the drug of choice in this county. Information addresses treatment admissions from 1990 to 1993, the incarceration rate for drug and/or alcohol-related offenses in 1992, alcohol-related crashes and fatalities, and an underage alcohol enforcement program. Sixteen core Maryland drug abuse indicators are listed, and data sources for each indicator are shown.