Drug use up 10% in juvenile arrestees over four years

A report released last week by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) details that the percentage of juveniles who have tested positive for any drug, marijuana and methamphetamine have increased 10 percent over the past four years in this region. The report released the statistics for 2003 in comparison to years past. Fifty-six percent of the youth interviewed in 2003 tested positive for some type of drug, compared to 52 percent in 2002, 51 percent in 2001 and 46 percent in 2000. The 2003 statistics show that 49 percent tested positive for marijuana and 15 percent for methamphetamine. Three percent of the youth interviewed tested positive for cocaine, one percent for PCP and one percent for heroin. In the adult arrestees, an average of 68 percent tested positive for one or more of the major drugs, compared to 66 percent in 2002, 65.5 percent in 2001, and 65 percent in 2000.

“Three-quarters or more of the juveniles interviewed reported that alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and methamphetamine are ‘easy’ or ‘very easy’ to obtain,” the SANDAG report stated.

“Despite local efforts, 38 percent of adult males, 47 percent of adult females, and 15 percent of juveniles tested positive for methamphetamine in 2003,” the report stated.

Methamphetamine, also known as ‘meth,’ ‘speed,’ ‘crank,’ ‘crystal,’ or ‘ice,’ is a central nervous system stimulant that increases the user’s heart rate, blood pressure, temperature and wakefulness. The effects last 8 to 24 hours.

Because of the relatively high rate of methamphetamine use in our region (compared to other areas of the U.S.), the San Diego County Methamphetamine Strike Force was formed in 1996. The overall objective of the strike force is to reduce the manufacture, distribution and use of methamphetamine in the County through the work of its multi-disciplinary network.

Rather than the bulk being imported to this area, most of the methamphetamine found in San Diego County is manufactured or ‘cooked’ here in small labs in homes, garages, storage units, apartments and even the trunks of cars.

Warning signs of methamphetamine use include hyperactivity, wakefulness, loss of appetite, moodiness, and repetitious behavior like picking their skin and pulling their hair.

SANDAG has conducted interviews since 1987 with adult and juvenile arrestees about their recent and past drug use. The 2003 report is based on data collected from interviews with 703 adult males, 288 adult females and 342 juveniles.