State
Facts Population: 1,235,786 Law
Enforcement Officers: 2,530 State Prison Population:
2,282 Probation Population: 3,160
Violent Crime Rate National Ranking:
49 |
2001
Federal Drug Seizures Cocaine: 3.7 kgs.
Heroin: 0 kgs. Methamphetamine: 0
kgs. Marijuana: 0 kgs.
Clandestine Laboratories: 2 (DEA, state,
and local) |
Top 2 cities in New HampshireNashua Manchester
Drugs and Addiction Treatment Centers
Drug Situation: Retail quantities
of cocaine remain readily in the State of New Hampshire. Dominican narcotics
traffickers are the principal distributors of cocaine in the state. Heroin is
available in street-level quantities by Dominican narcotics traffickers with
New York sources who operate in the Lowell/Lawrence, MA, areas. Marijuana is
readily available throughout the state, and it is apparent that marijuana is
the predominate drug of choice in the state among those inquiring about drug
addiction treatment. New Hampshire has experienced a continued growth in
availability of methamphetamine within the state in the past few years,
particularly in and around the seacoast area. It is anticipated that this trend
will continue.
Cocaine: Cocaine continues to be readily available
throughout New Hampshire and is the drug of choice among many entering drug
rehab centers. Although kilogram quantities of the drug are available,
presently cocaine powder and crack are usually encountered in smaller, retail
quantities within the state. Crack cocaine use and distribution is
effected primarily in and around the larger cities of New Hampshire and along
the southern border. Dominican narcotics traffickers are currently the
principal distributors of cocaine having sources of supply in New York and
Lowell/Lawrence, MA. Cocaine availability and prices have remained
constant.
Heroin: Heroin is available in street-level
quantities in New Hampshire and is distributed by Dominican narcotics
traffickers with New York sources who operate in the Lowell/Lawrence, MA,
areas. New Hampshire has seen a continued increase of heroin abuse along the
seacoast and in the southeast region of the state and a continued increase in
the number of individuals addicted to heroin seeking addiction treatment
centers. Heroin prices on the retail level have declined; possibly attributable
to the extremely low cost of heroin in the source areas of Lawrence and Lowell,
MA.
 Methamphetamine: The State of New Hampshire has
experienced a continued growth in availability of methamphetamine in the past
few years, particularly in and around the Seacoast area. Meth is increasing
named as the drug of choice among those entering drug rehab centers. Meth is
primarily transported into the state via express mail packages and by common
carrier from the West Coast of the United States. Methamphetamine prices have
remained stable.
Club
Drugs: New Hampshire has seen a rapid increased availability of MDMA
(Ecstasy), particularly among students and in association with the rave
environment. The majority of the MDMA in the seacoast area of New Hampshire
comes from New York City.
Marijuana: Marijuana is readily available
throughout New Hampshire, and is the predominant drug of choice in the state.
For the past several years, almost all foreign origin marijuana encountered in
New Hampshire originated in Mexico with local Caucasian violators traveling
weekly or bi-monthly to Arizona and Southern California to obtain 200-300 pound
quantities of the drug. The marijuana is usually transported into the state via
land vehicle. Marijuana is also being shipped in relatively small quantities
(20-50 lb. packages) into the state utilizing U.S. and other mail services.
Domestically produced marijuana is also available in New Hampshire, though not
as readily in recent years. Because of the rural nature of the state,
particularly the northern two thirds, the potential growing areas are limitless
and most of the outdoor growers have reduced the size of their plots and
increased the variety and scope of their concealment efforts. THC content in
excess of 22% has been seen in the state. High potency Canadian grown
marijuana, known as BC Bud (because its grown in British Columbia), has
recently been sporadically available in New Hampshire. This high potency
Canadian-grown marijuanas THC content can range from 15 percent to as
much as 25 percent. In March 2001, The New Hampshire House of Representatives,
by a vote of 223 to 101, rejected a bill that would have legalized marijuana
for medical purposes. Modeled after a Hawaii law that allows people to possess
and use marijuana to provide relief from illnesses, the bill would have limited
patients and their caregivers to a supply of three mature and four immature
plants. Doctors would have also been ale to advise patients on the benefits of
using marijuana in certain cases.
Other Drugs:
Much of the diversion
problem in New Hampshire involves fraudulent prescriptions, duped doctors, mail
order pharmaceuticals, illegal/over dispensing, doctor shopping, and chemically
impaired practitioners, etc. Oxycontin is increasing as a pharmaceutical drug
of abuse in the state.
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 New Hampshire
since the inception of the program. The MET deployment to Hampton resulted in
20 arrests and the seizure of .6 pounds of cocaine; small amounts of crack
cocaine and heroin; 237 Ecstasy pills; and two weapons.
Drug Addiction Treatment: Drug addiction treatment is a
crucial component of the "War on Drugs." Those addicted to illegal drugs or
illegally obtained prescription drugs need more quality drug rehab centers to
help them regain their lives and become valuable members of their
communities. |