|
|||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||
|
 |
Virginia Drug Alcohol Addiction Recovery and Treatment Programs and Centers
Virginia cities located along Interstate 95 are susceptible to "spillover" drug distribution from smugglers transiting between the two main eastern drug importation points of New York City and Miami. Powder cocaine and crack cocaine, and the violence coinciding with the smuggling of these drugs are the most substantial drug issue in Virginia, per most law enforcement sources.
Cocaine in powder and crack forms is widely available throughout Virginia, in bulk and retail amounts. Considerable degrees of violence are still related to the crack cocaine trade in urban regions. Colombian and Dominican drug smuggling organizations in New York City supply a portion of the cocaine accessible in Virginia, but several domestic smugglers are growingly dependent on Mexican supply sources in Southwest America, North Carolina, and Georgia. In 2008, occasional reduced cocaine accessibility and higher costs reflected that there was an intermittent shortage of cocaine in the Richmond region.
The Richmond and Tidewater regions of Virginia have a constant, long-time heroin abuse population. Portsmouth, especially, is a heroin source for the Tidewater area. Pockets of heroin distribution are encountered in other regions of Virginia also, but the issue is less substantial. The majority of the heroin found in Virginia is generally of higher purity than is encountered in neighboring states. In the Norfolk region heroin is packaged mainly in gel capsules. In other areas of Virginia, it is packaged in small, colored or marked Ziploc baggies.
Clandestine meth labs continue to be an issue, and Mexican smuggling organizations are making tremendous inroads in the cocaine, meth, and marijuana distribution markets in almost all sections of Virginia. Domestic clandestine manufacture of meth, which was growing in Virginia, has declined, because of the passing of state and Federal laws restricting precursors. Most lab operation remains centered on the far southwestern corner of Virginia, bordering West Virginia, North Carolina, and Kentucky. The Shenandoah Valley area has the largest percentage of meth abusers in Virginia, and is supplied by Mexican drug smuggling organizations. The large volume of Mexican immigrants in the region has allowed the growth of existing Mexican drug smuggling networks.
Of the club drugs frequently abused and accessible in Virginia, Ecstasy is by far the simplest to attain and most in demand. GHB and Ketamine are also widely accessible; however, they are generally found in the nightclub and rave community. Other hallucinogenic and stimulant drugs, including piperazines, psilocybin mushrooms, LSD, and PCP are also accessible, with their abuse exhibiting cyclical patterns or restricted to special venues and events.
Marijuana is the most frequently abused drug in Virginia. The majority of the marijuana accessible in Virginia is commercial grade marijuana, imported from Mexico and shipped via Southwestern America. High-grade marijuana, regularly shipped in from Canada, is also accessible in Virginia. Outdoor marijuana harvesting blossoms in the spring and summer, and indoor grows are increasingly frequent.
According to present investigations, the diversion of OxyContin, Percocet, and Dilaudid remain an issue in Virginia. Main strategies of diversion being cited are illicit sale and distribution by health care professionals and personnel, doctor shopping, employee theft, and the Web. In Virginia, hydromorphone, methadone, and benzodiazepines were also shown to be among the most frequently abused and diverted pharmaceuticals.
|
|
|
|||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
