Substance Abuse and Drug Intervention in Orlando and Tampa Bay

• Cocaine: 30.1% - The number of crack users in Tampa has increased slightly, while the number of powder cocaine users has declined slightly.
• Heroin: 3.8% - South American heroin is prevalent in the Tampa Bay area.
• Marijuana: 45.2%
• Methamphetamine: 1.6% - Methamphetamine continues to be reported as an emerging problem in Tampa. The Tampa Bay area is the focal point of all meth distribution and abuse in Florida.
• Any Drug: 60.1%
• Multiple Drugs: 19.5%
• Club Drugs: Ecstasy is flooding Central Florida area, primarily Orlando and Tampa. The "rave scene" in these cities also promotes the use of other club drugs such as ketamine, GHB, nitrous oxide and LSD.
• Other Drugs: Diverted pharmaceuticals are becoming increasingly available on the street, particularly since pain management clinics began opening on a more frequent basis. OxyContin can be obtained with no difficulty. A large increase in the abuse of benzodiazepines, particularly alprazolam, has been reported in the Tampa / St. Petersburg area. Dextromethorphan (found in Coricidin HBP Cough and Cold) is being used by adolescents in Tampa. There has been an increase in thefts of the product from groceries and pharmacies and some pharmacies have begun restricting sales of the product to one box per customer.

Percent of Students Reporting Past Month Drug Use in Hillsborough County, 2004:

• Alcohol: 33.4%
• Cigarettes: 13.4%
• Marijuana: 12.6%
• Inhalants: 4.6%
• Ecstasy: 1.4%
• OxyContin: 0.5%
• Any illicit drug (not marijuana): 9.1%
• Alcohol or any illicit drug: 37.6%

As of September 2004, there were 3 drug courts in Tampa that had been operating for more than two years and one additional drug court that was being planned.

At the end of June 2004, the inmate population at the Hillsborough Correctional Institution was 200. This facility has Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous programs for the offenders

Tamps Circuit Office probation officers supervise Hillsborough County offenders in the community who have been placed on probation or who have been released from prison with post-release supervision. As of August 22, 2003, there were 11,791 total offenders being supervised by this office. The Circuit Office offers drug treatment at the Drug Abuse Comprehensive Coordinating Office, Tampa Crossroads, and at the Center for Rational Living.

From January to June 2004, there were 54 deaths in Tamps in which cocaine was found in the body of the deceased. During full year 2003, there were 81 Tampa deaths involving cocaine. This is down from 2002 when there were 79 deaths in which cocaine was present.

Drug-Related Deaths by Lethal/Non-Lethal Levels in Tampa, 2003:

Please call us today at (800) 610 - 2066 and we will answer any questions concerning treatment. Referrals are available. Call today!