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Man has used drugs to affect his health and alter his moods since the beginning of recorded history. From cures of disease and reduction of pain to religious ritual use and purely recreational intentions to alter the state of consciousness, drugs have been used both in responsible, medicinal ways and in physically, psychologically, and sociologically disruptable ways.

To regulate the former and minimize the latter, societies have developed moral values and written laws governing the legal and illegal uses of drugs. The current cost of fighting the illegal uses of drugs has reached into the billions of dollars per year. The threat of illegal drugs has reached dangerous levels due to the insidious nature of drugs and drug abuse and their harmful effect on all aspects of society.

THE DRUGS

Today, cocaine and heroin constitute the most serious threat to the United States. Despite record seizures in recent years, cocaine continues to be readily available in all of the metropolitan areas throughout the United States. Since 1984, the number of cocaine-related hospital emergencies reported through the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) has increased five-fold. During the late 1980s, a substantial increase in violence and homicides occurred as power struggles over drug territory developed among retail-level distribution groups, local inner-city street gangs, and the larger, well-organized gangs attempting to expand their distribution area in a number of cities. Virtually all cocaine in the United States is derived from coca grown in Peru, Bolivia, and Colombia. Eighty percent of all cocaine entering the United States is processed in Colombia and shipped from its ports.

Opium and its most dangerous derivative, heroin, pose a set of problems very different from those involving cocaine. As the volume of worldwide heroin production continues to increase, so do heroin-related hospital emergencies -- approximately 25 percent from 1985 to 1988. With the exception of Thailand, every opium-producing nation maintained or increased its previous production levels in 1988 and 1989. Of the two main opium-producing regions, Southeast Asia has replaced Southwest Asia as the largest supplier to the United States. New York City is the primary port of entry for Southwest Asian heroin. Southeast Asian heroin has been transported directly from Thailand to New York, San Francisco, or Los Angeles in cargo aboard commercial vessels, air freight cargo, and international mail parcels. Mexican heroin, much of which is in its black tar form, continues to be the primary type of heroin available in the Western United States.

By virtue of geography and foreign policy, the United States has had differing levels of success on combating drug entry. In the case of cocaine, the United States government has more influence with the governments of the countries involved, but the governments themselves have less influence with the actual grower than does the majority of the heroin-producing countries.

Marijuana remains the most widely used illegal drug in the United States. Colombia is the largest source of marijuana for a United States user, providing approximately 40 percent of the total American supply. Mexico produces 25 percent, other countries 10 percent, and domestic producers account for the remainder of the United States market, about 25 percent. Although there is evidence of a downward trend in usage in certain segments of the population, marijuana/hashish-related emergency room visits reported through DAWN have increased. Marijuana's poly-drug profile (use with other drugs) and higher tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content are believed to be factors contributing to this increase.

The use of hallucinogens and depressants may be declining, but their levels are still considerably higher than in 1985 and 1986. The trafficking of LSD, MDMA ("ecstasy"), and amphetamines continues to pose a serious problem. Methamphetamine is produced in laboratories in the western and southwestern states, where its abuse continues to rival that of crack cocaine. "Ice," a smokeable crystallized form of the stimulant methamphetamine, produced largely in Asian laboratories, first entered the United States through Hawaii, where it is rapidly becoming the illegal drug of choice. Although ice remains relatively uncommon in the continental United States, this could change quickly as domestic production increases. Ice is convenient to use and relatively inexpensive. The allure of ice is a long-lasting high, up to 8 hours, compared to the 20-minute crack high. Ice users are more likely to experience violent and paranoiac reactions and exhibit schizophrenic-like symptoms. As with cocaine, chronic use of ice can lead to permanent neurological damage, severe weight loss, and life-threatening heart and lung disorders.

Crack remains the nation's leading drug threat, but illegal drug markets have displayed enormous volatility in the past, and the risk posed by new drugs or drug derivations should not be neglected. Some experts believe that ice may now be at the level of use that crack was 5 to 8 years ago. If so, the opportunity may still exist to head off this destructive threat through careful, well-targeted prevention and law enforcement efforts, before it reaches the explosive levels of crack.

EFFECTS ON SOCIETY

Drug-related crimes are at an all-time high. The rate of drug-related homicides in cities across the country has reached an alarming level. Felony drug convictions now account for the single largest and fastest growing sector of the federal prison population. Three fourths of all felony assaults committed by young people now involve drug users. Reports of bystander deaths in drug-related gun fights and drive-by shootings continue to rise.

The threat drugs pose to American public health has never been greater. Intravenous drug use is now the single largest source of new HIV/AIDS virus infections and up to one half of all AIDS deaths are now considered drug-related. The number of drug-related emergency hospital admissions increased by 121 percent between 1985 and 1988. As many as 200,000 babies are born each year to mothers who use drugs. Many of these infants suffer from low birth weight, severe mental and physical dysfunctions or impairments, or drug dependence. Many babies, born weeks or months premature, do not survive past infancy.

Drug trafficking, distribution, and sales constitute a vast black market. The black market is economically debilitating to our country. Recent United States Chamber of Commerce estimates place annual gross sales in the hundreds of billions of dollars. By some estimates, on-the-job drug use costs American industry and business $60 billion a year in lost productivity and on-site accidents.

Illegal drug activity adversely affects United States foreign policy interests around the world. In Southeast and Southwest Asia, South and Central America, and the Caribbean Basin, drug exporting networks and domestic drug use cause serious social, economic, and political disruptions. Drug cartel operations and associated gangs present a real danger to democratic institutions and civil order.

United States security, which depends on regional stability throughout the Americas and across the globe, is threatened by the destructive effects of drug activity. The U.S. Army is working to advance the national objective of reducing the flow of illegal drugs into the United States through the effective application of available resources, consistent with our national values and legal framework.

Table of Contents

Foreword

Chapter 1: National Guard Bureau After-Action Reports Lessons Learned