SNORTING HEROIN BECOMING MORE POPULAR -U.S. REPORT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The practice of inhaling heroin is growing more
popular, and the drug is finding more users among women, the affluent
and suburbanites, said a new report released Tuesday by the Office of
National Drug Control Policy.

Also growing in use are ``club drugs,'' the hallucinogens and
sedatives popular at nightclubs and rave dances, said the report
released by White House anti-drug chief Barry McCaffrey at a news
conference at Roosevelt Hospital in New York.

The report, a semi-annual document known as a pulse check, is based on
information from treatment centers, law enforcement agencies,
epidemiologists and ethnographers across the country.

Their findings are used to spot trends in drug use before more
long-term studies are conducted, McCaffrey said.

The practice of snorting heroin is spreading, particularly among
younger people, he said.

``It may be a young person who believes that by not injecting it but
by ingesting it ... that they're safer or that it's non-addictive,''
he said. ``Nothing could be farther from the truth. It can kill you.''

Heroin use appears to be growing among females, in suburban areas,
among whites and in higher socioeconomic groups, the report said.

The ``club drugs'' also are popular among young, white affluent users,
it said.

``They may not be sure what it is,'' McCaffrey said. ``It's a new
experience they're willing to take.''

Some of the drugs ``are incredibly lethal, potentially,'' he
added.

``Club drugs'' include MDMA, a hallucinogen known as Ecstasy;
ketamine, a veterinary anaesthetic known as Special K; GHB, a sedative
called Georgia Home Boy or Liquid X; and Rohypnol tablets known as
Roofies.

Marijuana use also is widespread, and more potent versions are
available due to sophisticated indoor and hydroponic growing methods,
the report said.

Still other findings show that crack and casual cocaine use is
dropping, while the use of methamphetamine is growing on the West Coast.