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This paper reports on a research-driven community-based effort to assess the potential for a local methamphetamine drug epidemic and to build a public campaign to head off or at least minimize the potentially severe health and social costs of the spread of a powerful stimulant drug like methamphetame to a new area. Drawing on diverse national and local datasets, as well as on several years of monitoring changing drug use patterns and analysing illicit drug difussion, community researchers in Hartford, CT identified a reasonable likelihood that methamphetamine--which is rarely used in the city currently--would spread and cause a significant local drug epidemic. In response, community efforts were initiated to draw attention to this looming public health problem and to build a broadbased, citywide primary prevention campaign. Based on a review of the spread of methamphetamine nationally, and the considerable health problems that result from methamphetamine addiction, this paper describes the implementation phase of the Hartford prevention campaign, the challenges faced in this effort, and the implications for applied anthropology. Key words: drug epidemic, primary prevention, public health, drug monitoring, applied anthropology

During the past decade, there has been a well-documented rise in the non-medical use of prescription painkillers, often referred to as narcotics analgesics (NA). Relatively little is known, however, about who these users are, the range of health and social consequences associated with their use, and the presence of illicit NA use on the inner city street. Results of a survey conducted with a sample of 242 street drug users indicated that NA use is now widespread in the inner city, and that it is associated with a number of serious health and psychiatric conditions. Other characteristics of this emerging drug user group are explored and the need for future research is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the use of a new illicit drug-embalming fluid mixtures-in Hartford, CT based on a recent assessment of drug consumption in an outreach-recruited sample of 242 not-in-treatment active drug users. Sociodemographic, drug use, and health and social problems of drug users who do and do not use embalming fluid mixture are presented, revealing some notable differences between these two groups of street drug users. Despite regular consumption, we report that embalming fluid mixture users are often uncertain about what is in this new drug, despite experiencing often powerful effects. Urine toxicology findings from a subsample of individuals who used embalming fluid mixtures in the last 48 hours, reveal the frequent presence of phencyclidine (PCP) as well as other drugs. The public health implications of this new wave of PCP use are assessed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]