Other Dangerous Drugs

The availability and abuse of other dangerous drugs (ODDs), including MDMA and several diverted pharmaceuticals, pose an increasing threat to New Hampshire. MDMA typically is distributed and abused at nightclubs and on college campuses by young adults and teenagers. Diverted pharmaceuticals typically are distributed from bars and other public areas and abused by young adults and teenagers.

Club Drugs

MDMA is the most widely available and frequently abused ODD in New Hampshire. According to law enforcement respondents to the NDTS 2002, MDMA increasingly is available in Portsmouth, Lancaster, Salem, Plymouth, Hudson, Concord, Milford, Rochester, and Northfield. Caucasian criminal groups and local independent dealers are the primary transporters of MDMA into the state. These criminal groups and dealers typically purchase the drug in Boston and New York City and transport it back to New Hampshire via private vehicles. MDMA most frequently is distributed and abused by teenagers and young adults at nightclubs and on college campuses. The DEA Manchester Resident Office reported that MDMA sold for $7 to $20 per tablet in the first quarter of FY2003.

LSD (lysergic acid diethylamide) distribution and abuse pose a low threat to New Hampshire. According to NHDSA data, the number of LSD-related treatment admissions to publicly funded facilities in New Hampshire decreased 12 percent from 25 in 1997 to 22 in 2001. (See Table 1 in Heroin section.) LSD typically is transported to New Hampshire from the West Coast via package delivery services and is distributed and abused by teenagers and young adults at nightclubs and on college campuses. According to the DEA Manchester Resident Office, LSD sold for $3 to $4 per dosage unit in the first quarter of FY2003.

Diverted Pharmaceuticals

The diversion and abuse of several pharmaceutical drugs, particularly OxyContin (oxycodone) and Ritalin (methylphenidate), pose a significant and increasing threat to New Hampshire. Other pharmaceuticals such as Vicodin (hydrocodone) and Percocet (oxycodone) also are diverted and abused, although to a lesser extent. According to NHDSA data, the number of oxycodone-related treatment admissions to publicly funded facilities in New Hampshire increased substantially (204%) from 27 in 1997 to 82 in 2001. (See Table 1 in Heroin section.) The number of treatment admissions for Ritalin abuse in New Hampshire is not available; however, state and local law enforcement officials report that abuse levels are high among junior high and high school students. Prescription fraud, theft, and doctor shopping (visiting multiple doctors to obtain prescriptions) are the most common means of diverting pharmaceuticals in New Hampshire.

Caucasian local independent dealers and abusers are the dominant distributors of diverted pharmaceuticals in New Hampshire. Diverted pharmaceuticals frequently are distributed from bars and other public areas. According to state and local law enforcement officials, OxyContin sold for $0.50 to $1 per milligram in 2002, and Ritalin sold for $3 to $10 per tablet.

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