FRIDAY, March 5, 2021 (HealthDay Information) — Seizures of illegal drugs fell sharply in the USA throughout early COVID-19 lockdowns, however spiked as soon as stay-at-home orders eased.
Researchers studied seizures of marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl in 5 areas between March 2019 (a 12 months earlier than the pandemic started in the USA) by way of September 2020, six months into the pandemic.
Throughout that point, legislation enforcement officers made greater than 29,500 drug seizures in Washington/Baltimore, Chicago, Ohio, New Mexico and North Florida.
Seizures — significantly of marijuana and methamphetamine — declined sharply in March and April 2020, when stay-at-home orders went into impact throughout the nation.
However after falling to a low level in April, drug seizures rose by way of the remainder of the spring and summer season as lockdowns have been relaxed, peaking in August.
After April, the load of medication seized elevated considerably, pushed by a surge in marijuana seizures.
The August 2020 peaks in marijuana and methamphetamine seizures have been increased than the earlier 12 months, however the researchers stated it isn’t clear whether or not that was as a result of the medicine have been extra accessible or whether or not legislation enforcement officers have been “catching up” after a number of months of delayed seizures. The analysis was performed as a part of the U.S. Nationwide Drug Early Warning System (NDEWS).
“Though seizure information just isn’t probably the most sturdy indicator of the prevalence of drug use, it does function an indicator of drug provide and availability,” research chief Joseph Palamar stated in a New York College information launch. He’s chairman of the NDEWS scientific advisory group and an affiliate professor of inhabitants well being at NYU Faculty of Drugs.
Palamar famous that fewer seizures or decrease volumes of medication seized can mirror a disruption of provide chains.
The researchers did not discover any main adjustments in seizures of cocaine, heroin or fentanyl through the pandemic’s early months, however seizures of fentanyl slowly elevated over two years, impartial of the pandemic.
“Future analysis ought to harmonize information on seizures with different research of drug use, availability and overdoses as a way to decide probably the most correct image of drug use tendencies through the pandemic,” stated research co-author Linda Cottler, an epidemiologist on the College of Florida.
The findings have been revealed March 2 within the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
Extra info
The U.S. Nationwide Institute on Drug Abuse explains drug abuse and addiction.
SOURCE: New York College, information launch, March 2, 2021
