The US Department of Justice publishes an unclassified version of the annual assessment by the US Drug Enforcement Administration.
The publication provides a yearly assessment of the many drug abuse and drug trafficking challenges local communities face. Highlights in the report include usage and trafficking trends for drugs such as prescription drugs, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, marijuana and the hundreds of synthetic drugs.
New to this year’s assessment is an expanded section on gangs - including street gangs, prison gangs, and outlaw motorcycle gangs - which now details gang activity geographically by DEA field division.
The assessment factors in data from many sources, including drug seizures, drug purity, laboratory analyses, information on the involvement of organized criminal groups, and survey data provided to DEA by state and local law enforcement agencies across the country.
According to the National Forensic Laboratory Information System (NFLIS), Ohio, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York, and New Jersey had the most fentanyl reports in 2017. Moreover, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey were among the five states with the most heroin reports in 2017.
The full 2019 Nataional Drug Threat Assessment.reports is available online.