Updated at 7:53 a.m., Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Cocaine use up sharply in late 2007, Hawaii lab finds
Advertiser Staff
HONOLULU — End-of-year statistics released by Diagnostic Laboratory Services Inc., show that cocaine use rose sharply in the fourth quarter 2007, up 89 percent over the third quarter and up by 56 percent compared to the same quarter of 2006, the company said in a news release.
Ice, or crystal methamphetamine, use continued its downward trend for the third straight quarter, down 13 percent from the 2007 third quarter.
"Surprisingly, marijuana detection rose only 6.5 percent from the previous quarter even though the detection threshold was lowered on Oct. 19," said Carl A. Linden, scientific director for Diagnostic Laboratory Services Inc.
This quarter's data size involves a sample size of more than 8,100 employees, or potential employees, tested between October to the end of December 2007.
Below is how the data for the fourth quarter compares with the previous quarter (data samples vary from quarter to quarter from approximately 10,000 to 8,100):
Crystal methamphetamine dropped from .6 percent to .5 percent (down from .9 percent 4th QTR 2006)
Cocaine use rose from .2 percent to .4 percent (up from .2 percent 4th QTR 2006)
Opiate or prescription drug use declined from .6 percent to .5 percent (down from .6 percent 4th QTR 2006)
THC, or marijuana, usage slightly up from 1.7 percent to 1.8 percent (down from 1.9 percent 4th QTR 2006)
Diagnostic Laboratory Services Inc. is Hawai'i's largest drug testing company and releases drug statistics on a quarterly basis. The company currently handles drug testing for approximately 700 local businesses.
