State
Facts
Population: 2,673,400
Law
Enforcement Officers: 6,664
State Prison Population:
4,577
Probation Population: 30,480
Violent Crime Rate
National Ranking:
23 |
2001
Federal Drug Seizures
Cocaine: 18.9 kgs.
Heroin: 0 kgs.
Methamphetamine: 9.2
kgs.
Marijuana: 2,281.1 kgs.
Clandestine
Laboratories: 366 (DEA, state, and
local) |
Top 7 cities in ArkansasSpringdale
Pine Bluff
Jonesboro
North Little Rock
Fayetville
Fort Smith
Little Rock
Arkansas is predominantly
rural, with approximately 44,000 farms covering nearly half the state but
Arkansas drug rehab is very key. To varying extents, drugs are transported into
Arkansas via package delivery services; couriers aboard buses, passenger rail,
and commercial aircraft; and cargo on freight rail and commercial shipping
vessels. The highways in Arkansas are used to facilitate the transportation and
distribution of illicit drugs. Interstate 40, the principal east-west highway
in Arkansas, traverses the southern portion of the United States, linking
Arkansas to California in the west and North Carolina in the east. Interstate
30 originates in Fort Worth, Texas, passes through Dallas, and terminates in
Little Rock. Interstate 55, which intersects with I-40 in the northeast section
of the state, extends north from Louisiana (near New Orleans) to Chicago.
Drug
traffickers, primarily Mexican criminal groups, commonly use these interstates
to transport illegal drugs into and throughout the state. In doing so, drug
traffickers primarily use private and commercial vehicles. "Drug-related drug
rehab admissions to publicly funded addiction treatment facilities in Arkansas
increased from state fiscal year (SFY) 1998 (July 1 through June 30) through
SFY2002.
According to the Arkansas Department of Health, treatment drug rehab
admissions for abuse of amphetamines, powdered cocaine addiction, and marijuana
addiction increased from SFY1998 through SFY2002, while drug rehab admissions
for crack cocaine addiction and heroin addiction decreased. *Most of the
amphetamine-related addiction treatment admissions are methamphetamine-related.
Juvenile drug abuse is a concern in Arkansas drug rehab. According to the 2001
Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS), 21.1 percent of high school students in
Arkansas reported that they had been offered, sold, or given an illegal drug on
school property during the past 12 months, although this rate is lower than the
nationwide percentage of 28.5. Further, 10.8 percent of individuals aged 12 to
17 in Arkansas reported having abused an illicit drug within the past month,
according to combined data from the 1999 and the 2000 National Household Survey
on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) further showing the need for drug rehab centers and
programs. This rate is statistically comparable to the reported nationwide
percentage of 9.8.The percentage of federal sentences in Arkansas that were
drug-related is slightly higher than the national percentage.
According to
the U.S. Sentencing Commission (USSC), drug-related sentences accounted for 43
percent of all federal sentences in the state in fiscal year (FY) 2001,
compared with 41 percent nationwide. Forty-one percent of the drug-related
federal sentences in Arkansas were crack cocaine-related, significantly higher
than the national percentage (20%). Methamphetamine-related offenses accounted
for 33 percent of the drug-related sentences in Arkansas, compared with 14
percent nationwide. Marijuana-related offenses accounted for 12 percent of
drug-related federal sentences in the state, compared with 33 percent
nationwide, and powdered cocaine-related offenses accounted for 12 percent of
the sentences, compared with 22 percent nationwide. Moreover, the number of
drug-related arrests recorded annually by the Arkansas Crime Information Center
increased from 12,858 in 1997 to 14,754 in 2001. Very obviously much of these
costs and problems could be handled with effective drug rehab available to
those who need it. The total financial impact on Arkansas government from
substance abuse-related costs is significant though drug rehab programs should
be increased. The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia
University reported that in 1998 (the latest year for which statistics are
available), Arkansas spent $519 million--approximately $206 per resident--on
substance abuse-related costs. This figure represents costs and services across
program areas including justice, education, health, child-family assistance,
mental health-developmental disabilities, public safety, and the state
workforce. This accounted for approximately 7.8 percent of the state's total
budget. When factoring in the cost of lost productivity and nongovernmental
expenses by private social services, estimates for total substance
abuse-related costs are even higher but need to include as a primary
expenditure the implementation of effective drug rehab.
Drug Addiction and Drug Addiction
Treatment
Drug Situation: Foreign-based and
domestic drug trafficking groups have developed sizable transportation and
distribution networks throughout Arkansas for methamphetamine, cocaine, and
marijuana. While the significant increase in the Hispanic population over the
past few years enables those Hispanics importing methamphetamine into the state
to be less conspicuous, far and away the most significant problem facing
Arkansas and the most significant contributing reason for individuals seeking
drug rehab, is the proliferation of small, toxic local clandestine
methamphetamine labs distributing locally.
 Cocaine: Both cocaine and crack cocaine are a
significant drug threat in Arkansas and the primary drug of choice for many in
drug rehab. Many of the violent crimes in the state are directly associated
with distribution and abuse of crack cocaine in both the inner city and rural
areas.
 Heroin: Both South American and Mexican heroin
trafficking are slowly increasing in Arkansas, but are not viewed as a
significant threat by drug law enforcement entities. The rate of admissions for
heroin abuse at addiction treatment centers is low compared to neighboring
states.
  Methamphetamine: The distribution and abuse of
Mexican and locally produced methamphetamine continue to rise and are a
significant issue in Arkansas. It is the leading reason Arkansans are seeking
drug addiction treatment at growing rates. Recent investigations and
intelligence indicate a dramatic increase in the number of small manufacturing
operations. Production remains directly related to the availability of
precursor chemicals, primarily ephedrine/pseudoephedrine and anhydrous ammonia.
Instructions to produce methamphetamine found on the Internet, coupled with the
relative ease in procuring precursor chemicals, makes methamphetamine
production and distribution available to anyone. Intelligence indicates that
Mexico-based poly-drug trafficking organizations are transporting large
quantities of methamphetamine into Arkansas for consumption and further
distribution to adjacent states via parcel delivery, private and commercial
vehicles and airplanes. There is reliable information that weapons are also
being supplied to Mexican organizations in California in lieu of payment for
methamphetamine. Methamphetamine is most often abused among the Caucasian
working class.
 Club Drugs: The popularity and demand for club drugs
in Arkansas is rising. MDMA, LSD, GHB, and Ketamine are readily available
although MDMA, which is the most popular, is perhaps the greatest future threat
to Arkansas youth. The majority of club drug distribution occurs at nightclubs
and drinking establishments. Club drugs are transported most often via parcel
delivery services from sources in Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Memphis, Miami
and Amsterdam.
 Marijuana: Mexican and domestically
produced marijuana is abundantly available in Arkansas. Intelligence indicates
that locally grown marijuana is distributed to other states, including
Mississippi and Texas. The majority of marijuana arrests and seizures in
Arkansas, however, are from Operation Pipeline stops as they transit through
the state and parcel interceptions. Seizures in excess of 1,000 pounds are
typically concealed in tractor-trailers destined for cities on the East
Coast.
Other Drugs:
Pseudoephedrine is a
precursor chemical used in the manufacture of methamphetamine and is sold in
convenience stores throughout the state. Recent Arkansas legislation proposed
to remove pseudoephedrine tablets from store shelves and place them behind the
counter distributed by the pharmacy section. Additionally, Arkansas State
legislation passed in June 2001 made it illegal to posses over nine grams of
pseudoephedrine and illegal to sell more than three grams per transaction.
OxyContin is a slow
release form of the painkiller Oxycodone, which is of benefit to cancer
patients and those with chronic pain. OxyContin, which effects as other opiate
derivatives, is obtained legally through prescriptions, as well as illegally on
the street. OxyContin is being abused at a rate many law enforcement officials
describe as epidemic. In Arkansas, it is being abused in the Ft. Smith,
Fayetteville and Harrison areas. The DEA Little Rock Office reported that
Hydrocodone is still the most commonly diverted and abused licit drug in
Arkansas.
 DEA Mobile
Enforcement Teams: This cooperative program with state and local law enforcement
counterparts was conceived in 1995 in response to the overwhelming problem of
drug-related violent crime in towns and cities across the nation. There have
been 359 deployments completed resulting in over 14,456 arrests of violent drug
criminals as of April 1, 2002. There have been two MET deployments in Arkansas,
both in Pine Bluff, resulting in 68 arrests.
Special Topics: A HIDTA (High
Intensity Drug Trafficking Area) proposal was submitted by Governor Mike
Huckabee and Director Donald Melton of the Arkansas State Police in November
2001. To date, there has been no word on approval.
Addiction Treatment Centers Needed: The increase of methamphetamine
abuse along with the abuse of other illegal substances is continuing to grow in
Arkansas. More and more citizens are becoming addicted to illegal substances or
illegally used pharmaceuticals. More addiction treatment centers will be needed
to handle the growing problem in Arkansas.
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