MONITORING THE CHANGING METHAMPHETAMINE MARKET IN THE AUSTIN AREA

描述(由申请人提供)：这项试探性/发展性赠款提案将测试一种流行病学工具的能力，以调查活跃的吸毒者他们的使用模式和德克萨斯州奥斯汀大都市区的毒品市场。这一工具将有助于解释药物供应和使用者需求之间的关系。由于毒品市场的变化，因为进口冰烟熏取代了当地生产的吸入或注射的粉末，因此选择甲基苯丙胺来测试这一拟议的工具。要调查的目标和主要研究问题是：(1)了解不同毒品形式对甲基苯丙胺的需求；(2)了解毒品市场和毒品供应的差异和变化如何影响吸毒者的行为；(3)界定根据所用毒品的类型、使用原因、毒品来源和经常光顾不同市场的吸毒者的特征来区分吸毒者的社会经济类型。研究结果将帮助我们了解毒品市场的变化如何影响药物使用的趋势，以及供应如何影响药物的需求。它将提供关于现有药物的类型和形式、使用不同品种的人的概况、给药途径、危险行为模式、依赖程度、药物使用与犯罪活动之间的关系、药物来源、当前和新兴药物市场、感知的纯度和稀释剂、使用者感受到的风险和治疗需求的信息，以及与吸毒者接触的关键告密者所看到的问题和需求。公共卫生相关性：该项目将报告药物使用模式、药物使用的影响(如吸毒过量、吸毒后开车)、毒品问题的求助、关系和社会问题、经济问题、法律和警察问题、工作或学习问题、注射危险行为、性危险行为、接种乙肝疫苗、丙型肝炎病毒、艾滋病毒和性传播疾病状况。它还将提供关于物质依赖程度和治疗需要程度的信息，因为在奥斯汀地区可获得更有效的墨西哥甲基苯丙胺形式。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This exploratory/developmental grant proposal will test the ability of an epidemiological tool to survey active drug users about their patterns of use and the drug markets in the Austin, Texas metropolitan area. This tool will help explain the relationship between the supply of a drug and the demand of the users. Because of the changes in the drug market as imported Ice, which is smoked, replaces the locally-produced powder which is inhaled or injected, methamphetamine was chosen to test this proposed tool. The aims and primary research questions to be investigated are (1) To understand the demand for methamphetamine based on use of the different forms of the drug; (2) To understand how the differences and changes in the drug market and supply of drugs influences the behavior of users as the supply shifts between locally-produced and imported powder and "Ice"; (3) To define socio-economic typologies that differentiate users according to the type of drugs used, reasons for use, sources of their drugs, and characteristics of the users who frequent different markets. The findings from the study will help us understand how trends in drug use are influenced by changes in the drug market and how supply affects the demand for drugs. It will provide information about the types and forms of the drug that are available, the profiles of those who use the different varieties, the routes of administration, patterns of risky behavior, severity of dependence, the relationship between use of the drug and criminal activity, sources of the drug, the current and emerging drug markets, perceived purity and diluents, and the risks and treatment needs perceived by users, as well as the problems and needs seen by key informants who come into contact with drug users. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This project will report on the patterns of drug use, effects of drug use (such as overdoses, driving after drug use), seeking help for drug problems, relationship and social problems, financial problems, legal and police problems, work or study problems, injecting risk behaviors, sexual risk behaviors, vaccination for HBV, and HCV, HIV, and STD status. It also will provide information on the levels of substance dependence and the extent of treatment need as the more potent forms of Mexican methamphetamine become more available in the Austin area.