State
Facts
Population: 3,405,565
Law
Enforcement Officers: 8,485
State Prison Population:
18,206
Probation Population: 55,070
Violent Crime Rate National Ranking: 32 |
2001
Federal Drug Seizures
Cocaine: 24.5 kgs.
Heroin: 4.1 kgs.
Methamphetamine: 0
kgs.
Marijuana: 42.6 kgs.
Clandestine
Laboratories: 0 (DEA, state, and local) |
Top 12 cities in ConnecticutMilford
West Haven
Meriden
Bristol
New Britian
Danbury
Norwalk
Waterbury
Stamford
Hartford
New Haven
Bridgeport
The distribution and abuse
of illegal drugs and the diversion and abuse of pharmaceuticals pose serious
threats to Connecticut drug rehab need. In 1999 Connecticut ranked second in
the nation for the number of substance abuse-related addiction treatment
admissions per 100,000 population and eleventh in the nation for the total
number of substance abuse-related drug rehab admissions.
 Cocaine:
Cocaine addiction is the primary
drug threat needing drug rehab programs now. Powdered cocaine and crack cocaine
pose the greatest drug threat to Connecticut. Cocaine is readily available in
Connecticut, and its distribution and abuse are associated with more violent
crime than any other drug. Connecticut-based African American, Dominican,
Jamaican, Puerto Rican, and other Hispanic criminal groups primarily use rental
and private vehicles on Interstate 95 to transport most of the cocaine
available in Connecticut from New York City. They also transport cocaine on
commuter trains and buses from New York City and on commercial airline flights
from other areas. These criminal groups are the dominant wholesale and midlevel
cocaine distributors in Connecticut. Street gangs, local crews, and local
independent dealers, particularly African American, Jamaican, and Puerto Rican,
are the dominant retail distributors of powdered and crack cocaine in
Connecticut. Many criminal groups that distribute cocaine in the state also
distribute other drugs such as heroin and marijuana. Connecticut drug rehab and
addiction treatment must be a priority, especially regarding cocaine addiction.
 Heroin:
Heroin addiction is the second most significant drug threat requiring
Connecticut drug rehab programs immediately. Heroin, particularly South
American, is frequently abused in the state; in 1999 Connecticut ranked first
in the nation for the rate of heroin-related treatment admissions per 100,000
population. Heroin’s increasing popularity, particularly among teenagers
and young adults, is due primarily to the increased availability of low cost,
high purity heroin that can effectively be snorted or smoked rather than
injected. Connecticut-based African American, Dominican, Puerto Rican, and
other Hispanic criminal groups are the dominant transporters and wholesale and
midlevel distributors of heroin in the state. They usually travel in private
vehicles on interstate highways, particularly I-95, to purchase wholesale
quantities of heroin from New York City-based Colombian and Dominican criminal
groups. These wholesale and midlevel distributors typically sell heroin to
retail distributors, primarily Connecticut-based street gangs, crews, and other
African American, Dominican, Mexican, Puerto Rican, and other Hispanic criminal
groups. Connecticut drug rehab and addiction treatment again is sorely needed
regarding heroin addiction.
 Marijuana:
Marijuana addiction is a huge
problem as marijuana is the most widely available and commonly abused drug in
Connecticut. However, the drug poses a lower threat than cocaine or heroin
because marijuana abusers and distributors usually do not commit violent crimes
and because the drug’s effects are generally less debilitating than those
associated with other illicit drugs. Connecticut has had fewer addiction
treatment admissions to publicly funded facilities for marijuana abuse than for
heroin or cocaine abuse; however, the number of addiction treatment admissions
is increasing. Most of the marijuana available in Connecticut is
Mexico-produced or produced by Mexican criminal groups in Arizona, southern
California, and Texas. Cannabis also is cultivated indoors and outdoors in
Connecticut. Caucasian, Colombian, Dominican, Jamaican, Mexican, and other
Hispanic criminal groups and members of Italian Organized Crime are the
dominant transporters of marijuana into Connecticut. They usually transport
marijuana into Connecticut in tractor-trailers. Caucasian, Jamaican, and
Mexican criminal groups and Connecticut-based local independent dealers are the
dominant wholesale distributors of marijuana. African American, Caucasian,
Dominican, and other Hispanic criminal groups, street gangs, crews, and local
independent dealers are the dominant retail distributors. Connecticut drug
rehab and addiction treatment for marijuana addiction is a real concern.
 Club Drugs:
Other dangerous drugs, including
the stimulant MDMA, the depressants GHB and ketamine, the hallucinogens LSD and
PCP, and the diverted pharmaceuticals alprazolam (Xanax), diazepam (Valium),
fentanyl (Duragesic), hydrocodone (Vicodin), methadone, oxycodone (OxyContin),
and methylphenidate (Ritalin), are an increasing threat to Connecticut and
demanding quick and serious Connecticut drug rehab and addiction treatment
center expansion on the short term. Many of these dangerous drugs are
distributed and abused by teenagers and young adults, sometimes in combination
with cocaine and heroin, on college campuses and at raves. The threat posed by
these drugs is increasing; however, they pose a lower threat than heroin,
cocaine, and marijuana due to their low association with violent crime. These
drugs are usually transported into the state via package delivery services,
couriers on commercial airline flights, or private vehicles.
  Methamphetamine:
Methamphetamine is rarely
distributed or abused in Connecticut. The number of methamphetamine-related
addiction treatment admissions, seizures, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task
Force investigations, and federal sentences in the state is insignificant. Only
one methamphetamine production laboratory has been seized since 1993, and there
have been no reports of methamphetamine-related violence. Caucasian independent
dealers distribute the limited quantity of methamphetamine available in the
state. Still, drug rehab programs for methamphetamine addiction still warrant
consideration.
Connecticut Drug Rehab Need Scope: Connecticut,
the nation’s third smallest state, covers 4,845 square miles. Connecticut
has 3.4 million residents, making it the fourth most densely populated state.
Most of the state’s population is concentrated along the coast in
Bridgeport, New Haven, and Stamford and in the center of the state in Hartford
(the state capital) and Waterbury. Each of these cities has a population
between 100,000 and 150,000, and these urban areas are more ethnically diverse
than the rest of the state. The state’s population is 77.5 percent
Caucasian, 9.4 percent Hispanic or Latino, 9.1 percent African American, 2.4
percent Asian, and the remainder is American Indian or other races. The ethnic
diversity of the state’s urban areas provides the opportunity for drug
distributors of various races or ethnicities to blend with the resident
population and should be taken into account during deliberation of drug rehab
implementation. Located between the drug distribution centers of New York City
and Boston, Connecticut is an important transit and destination area for drugs
and drug rehabilitation. Interstate 95, the major north-south route on the East
Coast, extends along Connecticut’s southern shore through Stamford,
Bridgeport, New Haven, and New London; it connects New York City with Boston
and continues to the U.S.–Canada border. Interstate 91 extends from New
Haven north to Massachusetts, Vermont, and the U.S.–Canada border. These
interstates intersect in New Haven and form what is known by law enforcement as
the New England Pipeline. Frequently, drugs are transported through Connecticut
between New York City and Boston along I-95 and into Massachusetts and Vermont
along I-91. Additionally, I-395, a north-south route through eastern
Connecticut, connects I-95 and I-90, the Massachusetts Turnpike. Interstate 84
extends from Pennsylvania through New York into southwestern Connecticut and
the cities of Danbury, Waterbury, and Hartford and connects to I-90 in
Massachusetts.
The number of drug-related addiction treatment
admissions in Connecticut is increasing. According to Treatment Episode Data
Set (TEDS) data, the number of Connecticut drug rehab admissions to publicly
funded Connecticut addiction treatment facilities for drug or alcohol abuse was
higher in 1999 (50,008 admissions) than in 1994 (45,665 admissions). In 1999
Connecticut ranked first in the nation for the rate of treatment admissions per
100,000 population and eleventh in the nation for the total number of treatment
admissions. The Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services
reported that there were 53,427 Connecticut addiction treatment admissions for
drug or alcohol abuse in fiscal year (FY) 2000. Over 56 percent of the
individuals admitted for drug rehab in Connecticut in FY2000 were Caucasian,
23.1 percent were African American, and 18.6 percent were Hispanic. Disparities
between state and federal reporting on admissions to substance abuse addiction
treatment programs are likely to occur because of differences in data
collection and reporting methodologies.
The number of deaths involving
drug abuse in Connecticut has increased dramatically since 1997. According to
the Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, the number of deaths in
which drugs were a factor nearly tripled from 1997 to 2000, with 43 in 1997, 74
in 1998, 96 in 1999, and 122 in 2000. In 2000 drugs were involved in the deaths
of 90 males and 32 females. Most decedents (87%) were Caucasian. The rate of
drug abuse in Connecticut is slightly higher than the national average.
According to the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, in 1999, 7.1 percent
of individuals surveyed in Connecticut reported having abused an illicit drug
in the previous month compared with approximately 6.3 percent nationwide.
Individuals aged 18 to 25 made up the largest group reporting past month drug
abuse requiring drug rehab program availability.
A significant
percentage of young people in Connecticut report abusing drugs. According to
the Governor’s Prevention Initiative for Youth 2000 Student Survey, 42.3
percent of tenth grade students surveyed in Connecticut reported having abused
marijuana at least once in their lifetime. The average age of first time
marijuana use decreased from 13½ in 1989 to 12½ in 2000 among
eighth grade students surveyed in Connecticut. Among ninth and tenth grade
students, 3.6 percent reported having abused powdered cocaine, 2.6 percent
reported having abused crack cocaine, and 1.8 percent reported having abused
heroin in their lifetime. Clearly drug rehab and more addiction treatment is
needed.
The financial impact of substance abuse on Connecticut’s
budget is significant. In 1998 Connecticut officials spent nearly $850 million
on substance abuse-related drug rehab and other programs in the areas of
justice, education, health, child-family assistance, mental
health-developmental disabilities, public safety, and state workforce. This
figure amounted to almost 7.4 percent of the state’s total expenditures.
When factoring in the cost of lost productivity and nongovernmental expenses by
private social services, estimates for total substance abuse expenditures in
Connecticut are even higher. There is a huge need for increased availability of
drug rehab and addiction treatment programs for Connecticut now.
Drug Addiction and Drug Rehab Centers
Drug Situation: Powder cocaine
and crack cocaine pose the greatest drug threat in Connecticut. Crack cocaine
is a significant problem in the urban areas of the state and a significant
reason for individuals seeking drug addiction treatment. Located between the
drug distribution centers of New York and Boston, Connecticut is an important
transit and destination area for drugs. Interstate 95, the major north-south
route on the East Coast, extends along Connecticut’s southern shore
through Stamford, Bridgeport, New Haven, and New London; it connects New York
City with Boston and continues to the U.S-Canada border. Interstate 91 extends
from New Haven north to Massachusetts, Vermont, and the U.S.-Canada border.
These interstates intersect in New Haven and form what is known by law
enforcement as the New England Pipeline.
 Other Drugs:
OxyContin is becoming the
most popular pharmaceutical drug of choice in Connecticut. Other abused drugs
are Vicodin, Oxycodone, Hydrocodone, Percocet, Valium and Diazepam. Another
drug, “Wet”, is a mixture of embalming fluid and mint leaves or PCP
and mint. It is purchased in small containers and smoked alone or can be
combined with marijuana. “Wet” is becoming popular with young urban
kids in Connecticut. In 2001, DEA Hartford seized 5,000 tablets of suspected
MDMA from a UPS package sent from Austin, TX. The DEA Northeast Regional Lab
reported that the 5,000 tablets tested negative for MDMA and that the tablets
were chemical substances formally known as piperazines (BZP). Piperazines
produce stimulant and hallucinogenic effects similar to MDMA. These chemicals
are not currently controlled under the Controlled Substance Act.
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 348 deployments completed resulting in
14,794 arrests of violent drug criminals as of June 2002. There has been one
MET deployment in the State of Connecticut since the inception of the program.
The MET deployment to Bridgeport, Connecticut resulted in 274 arrests and the
seizure of .7 pounds of crack cocaine; .5 pounds of heroin; 490 Percocet pills;
two vehicles; three weapons; and over $73,000 in U.S. currency and
property.
The Need for Drug Rehab Centers in
Connecticut
Currently there are 9 state addiction treatment facilities in
Connecticut. More drug rehab centers, both private and state funded, will be
needed to handle the drug addiction problem.
Information provided by DEA.gov
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