NCJ Number
204352
Date Published
May 2003
Length
15 pages
Annotation
This document presents the status and outlook of the drug threat in the State of New Hampshire.
Abstract
The distribution and abuse of illicit drugs pose a serious threat in New Hampshire. Most illicit drugs available in the State are transported from Lowell and Lawrence, MA. Illicit drugs are also transported from Boston, New York City, Southwestern States, and Canada. Private vehicles are the primary conveyances used to transport drugs into New Hampshire. To a lesser extent, commercial vehicles, couriers aboard commercial aircraft, package delivery services, couriers on foot, snowmobiles, and all-terrain vehicles also are used to transport illicit drugs into the State. Most of the illicit drugs transported into the State are abused within the State and are not transshipped to other locations. Heroin, primarily South American heroin, poses the most serious drug threat. The number of heroin-related treatment admissions to publicly funded facilities has increased substantially since 1997, and heroin was a factor in nearly half of the drug deaths that were reported in fiscal year 2001. Cocaine, both powdered and crack, also poses a significant threat because it is readily available, frequently abused, and often associated with violent crime. Despite this, abuse of cocaine, particularly crack, appears to be declining in the State, according to treatment admission data. Marijuana is the most widely available and commonly abused illicit drug. The availability and abuse of other dangerous drugs, such as MDMA and some diverted pharmaceuticals, pose an increasing threat. Methamphetamine production, distribution, and abuse pose a relatively low threat.