U.S. Department of Justice
National Drug Intelligence Center
Ohio HIDTA Drug Market Analysis 2010
April 2010

Abuse

Heroin abuse is rising in the Ohio HIDTA region, particularly among young Caucasians from suburban areas. The number of heroin-related treatment admissions to publicly funded facilities throughout Ohio increased nearly 50 percent between SFY2005 (5,991) and SFY2009 (8,945). (See Table 4.) In fact, in 2008, heroin surpassed cocaine as the second most commonly reported primary illicit drug of abuse by individuals seeking treatment in the HIDTA region (marijuana was first). Law enforcement and public health officials in the HIDTA region report that some abusers of controlled prescription opioids are switching to heroin. This switch is attributed, at least in part, to increased availability of Mexican heroin, which is typically lower in price.

The abuse of cocaine remains a primary concern in the HIDTA region, despite a decrease in the number of cocaine-related treatment admissions from SFY2005 (8,086) to SFY2009 (6,125). Reasons for this decrease are unclear but are likely related to the preliminary status of SFY2009 treatment data.

Table 4. Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions, by Drug, Ohio HIDTA, SFY2005-SFY2009d

Source: Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services.
*Amphetamine category includes methamphetamine.
**2009 data are preliminary as of February 2010.

CPDs, particularly OxyContin, Xanax, Vicodin, and Percocet, are abused at high levels throughout the Ohio HIDTA region. The number of deaths from unintentional poisoning in Ohio increased 108 percent between 2003 (686) and 2007 (1,428), with prescription opioids contributing significantly to this rise. Treatment-provider reporting indicates that this trend continued through 2009; however, complete data are not currently available. According to data from the Ohio Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics, prescription opioids were specifically mentioned more than any other drug for unintentional fatal drug poisonings in Ohio from 2000 through 2007. (See Figure 6.)

Figure 6. Number of Specific Drug Mentions Among Unintentional Fatal Drug Poisonings, Ohio, 2000-2007
 

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Source: Ohio Department of Health, Office of Vital Statistics.

Methamphetamine and MDMA are abused to varying degrees throughout the HIDTA region. Treatment data indicate that the number of amphetamine-related (including methamphetamine-related) admissions is significantly lower than the number of admissions for other drugs of abuse in the region. However, reporting from the Ohio Substance Abuse Monitoring (OSAM) Networke indicates that MDMA abuse is increasing among African Americans in Cincinnati and Dayton. Additionally, according to the OSAM Network, several crime labs in the state report that some MDMA is adulterated with BZP (benzylpiperazine).

Illicit Finance

Millions of dollars in illicit drug proceeds are generated in the Ohio HIDTA region each year. For example, nearly $17 million in drug proceeds were seized through Ohio HIDTA initiatives in 2009. Mexican DTOs primarily transport bulk currency derived from illicit drug sales in the region to areas along the Southwest Border. For instance, as a result of three separate traffic stops in September and October 2009, a total of $476,000 in cash was seized from a Mexican organization operating in the HIDTA region. Traffickers in the HIDTA region also use package delivery services to ship drug proceeds back to source locations or put the proceeds in luggage on commercial buses. Traffickers also launder money through various other means, including purchasing real estate and luxury items, using money services businesses, and structuring bank deposits.

Footnotes

d. The Ohio state fiscal year begins July 1 and ends June 30.

e. The OSAM Network is sponsored by the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug Addiction Services (ODADAS) and operated by Wright State University, Dayton, and the University of Akron.

UNCLASSIFIED

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