STATE SEEKS EARLY WARNING OF DRUG TRENDS

A new "early warning system" designed to spot emerging drug abuse trends in
Maryland is up and running, and analysts at the University of Maryland in
College Park are poring over the first set of results, authorities said.

The program was established last fall at the request of Lt. Gov. Kathleen
Kennedy Townsend (D) in response to what appeared to be signs of increased
heroin use among teenagers in the Baltimore suburbs.

The federal government and most states already attempt to monitor drug use
with regular surveys and studies, but those findings usually are available
only after a lag time of a year or two. The Maryland program's goal is to
detect trends more quickly, and then pass the information on to law
enforcement, school and drug treatment personnel.

"Oftentimes, we tend to react after the crisis has occurred. This is an
attempt to head off the crisis in advance, and that's unique," said Eric
Wish, director of the university's Center for Substance Abuse Research,
which administers the new program. "No other state, as far as we know, has
a real-time system to monitor drug trends out in the community like this.

"Hopefully, this will allow us to prepare and be a little better able to
deal with the next drug crisis."

The warning system consists of five components: a compilation of
traditional substance abuse indicators, including treatment admissions and
overdose fatality statistics; drug testing of juvenile offenders; regular
interviews with "front line" police and treatment professionals; an
Internet site that collects information about drug use from University of
Maryland students; and a rapid response unit that investigates potential
outbreaks and interviews drug users.

Wish said that more than 100 juvenile detainees have been tested for drugs
so far and that the results should be available in about six weeks. In
addition, researchers will begin testing and interviewing juveniles after
they are arrested and while they are on probation, he said.

Meanwhile, the rapid response unit conducted its first group interview last
month with 10 youths detained at a Department of Juvenile Justice facility
in Baltimore. The juveniles' participation was voluntary and anonymous.

"So far, I've been pretty encouraged by what we found. They were very
forthcoming with what they've seen," said Brook Wraight, a research
assistant. "A lot of them had been selling drugs, and they were extremely
articulate. I was surprised and impressed with their level of knowledge."

Wraight said the juveniles provided researchers with various pieces of
valuable information, including several new slang terms for drugs. They
also described new drug dealing practices, such as the use of yeast to
adulterate crack cocaine, and an unidentified new drug, a blue-tinted
liquid sold in vials as "liquid coke" in the open-air drug markets of
Baltimore.

"It's a really innovative way to find out from the highest risk part of the
population what's going on in their neighborhoods," Wish said. "We know
that drug trends often emerge first among these high-risk youth being
arrested and detained."

Similar focus groups are planned in other state juvenile facilities,
including those in the Washington area, and the rapid response unit hopes
to conduct similar sessions with adult prisoners and college students,
Wraight said.

Wraight said the center also has completed its first set of interviews with
more than 100 "front line" drug treatment, education, prevention,
enforcement and emergency medical personnel in the state. The findings are
in draft form, she said, and could be ready for release as early as next week.

In addition, the special Internet site is gathering data on drug use from
University of Maryland students. The Web site includes a survey that allows
people to answer questions about their drug and alcohol use, receive
feedback about whether they may have a problem and obtain a list of campus
and off-campus counseling and treatment programs.

The site (www.cesar.umd.edu/DARA.htm) has been visited more than 800 times
since it was established in November, and nearly 200 people have taken the
assessment survey and about 100 have used the referral service.

"We're trying to get an idea of what's going on and make students aware of
what resources are available out there if they have questions," said
research assistant Leah Schwartzman.

Wish said the center hopes eventually to expand the site and target high
school students as well.