Meth and
marijuana still greatest
drug threats, NW HIDTA
threat assessment report
says
Methamphetamine and
marijuana continue to be the
greatest illicit drug
threats to Washington state,
according to the latest
threat assessment by NW
HIDTA, an agency that
facilities cooperation and
coordination between law
enforcement agencies in 14
Washington counties. Law
enforcement officials says
ice methamphetamine
contributes more than any
other drug to both violent
and property crimes in the
state.
Based on responses to the
2010 Northwest HIDTA Threat
Assessment Survey (TAS), the
following illicit substances
were ranked in order of
prevalence throughout the
region from highest to
lowest: domestic marijuana,
crack cocaine, ‘ice’
methamphetamine, heroin,
pharmaceuticals,
methamphetamine, club drugs,
other marijuana, powder
cocaine, and BC Bud. For the
third year in a row,
domestic marijuana is the
most prevalent drug in the
region. Crack cocaine ranks
as the second most prevalent
drug. "Ice" methamphetamine
replaced heroin as the third
most prevalent drug of abuse
in 2009.
These stats are many more
are reported in the NW HIDTA
report:
Northwest HIDTA Threat
Assessment and Strategy for
Program Year 2011.
NW HIDTA report outlines
gang
activity in Washington state
More
than 300 active street gangs
in Washington state with
around 15,000 members are
using social media to post
their activities and to
recruit new members, a
new report by staff at
NW HIDTA states. Gangs
are using Facebook, YouTube
and other networking sites
to communicate with each
other worldwide, to enlist
new members and to
intimidate or threaten their
rivals, according to NW
HIDTA's
Washington State Gang
Intelligence Bulletin 2010.
King County has the most
gangs, at 120, in the state,
with Pierce County posting
the second highest at 50, or
16 percent of the state's
total. Yakima County has 40
known gangs and there are 21
gangs in Thurston County.
Prison gangs make up 18
percent of the state's
prison population and
account for 43 percent of
violent incidents within the
prison system. Gang activity
is also prevalent on many of
the state's Indian
reservations, despite zero
tolerance policies by some
tribes.
Legalizing marijuana
in Calif. would sharply
lower price of drug, new
RAND report says
A
new report by the
non-profit RAND corporation
indicates that legalizing
the production and
distribution of marijuana in
California could cut the
price of the drug by as much
as 80 percent and increase
consumption.
Drug Resource guide
updated, available
A Drug Resource Guide: Quick
Facts and Methamphetamine,
Ecstasy, Heroin & Marijuana
has
been updated for 2010 is now
available in quantity from
the Alcohol/Drug
Clearinghouse in Seattle.
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