NCJ Number
150910
Date Published
1994
Length
33 pages
Annotation
This report describes the current status and trends in the use, availability, manufacture, and distribution of the illegal drug phencyclidine (PCP).
Abstract
PCP abuse increased significantly from 1981 through 1985 and then was largely displaced by the widespread availability and use of crack cocaine. However, PCP abuse appears to be increasing in a number of cities. Reporting from the Drug Abuse Warning Network reveals that emergency room episodes related to PCP rose from 1,529 during the second half of 1991 to 3,286 during the first half of 1993. National surveys have revealed that the decline in overall use ended in 1991, although PCP use among 12th graders has declined significantly during the past 7 years. PCP is most often available in liquid form and costs $200 to $1,500 per ounce. The majority of the supply is manufactured and distributed by Los Angeles-based street gangs, affiliates, and similar trafficking groups. Buses, trains, airlines, and private automobiles are used to transport PCP from California to secondary source cities across the country. PCP trafficking involves producers/traffickers, distributors, and retail sellers. The Drug Enforcement Administration seized six PCP laboratories in 1993 and has seized two laboratories in 1994. Photographs, figures, and appended glossary and methodological information