As a general rule, arrests in San Diego County for drug possession of all types have fallen off over the past several years, with the exception of marijuana. But it’s all a matter of degree – arrests are still substantial and in many cases, arrests don’t tell the whole story. Some of the statistics recorded by county and state officials don’t include those who have landed in the criminal justice system because of drug use and diverted to Drug Court or to a diversion program through the juvenile courts. Sometimes those arrests don’t make it to the statistical columns because they are deferred procedures.
According to records kept by the State Attorney General’s Office, in 2008 there were 6,483 felony drug arrests of adults in San Diego and 11,712 misdemeanor arrests.
2008 Adult Felony Drug Arrests
Dangerous Drugs — 3,194
Narcotics — 2,547
Marijuana — 742
Methamphetamine comprises the large majority of those dangerous drugs arrests. People between the ages of 25 and 39 are the most active abusers in this category; in 2008 they accounted for 43% of all felony arrests for dangerous drugs. For narcotics the 25-39 age group was 35% of all arrests, while the 40-59 age group added another 39%. It seems that opiate users are an aging group. For marijuana, young adults 18-25 years in age represented almost half of all arrests (48%); while the 25-39 age group represented 37%.
That’s one set of statistics. The County of San Diego Methamphetamine Strike force, composed of federal, state and local law enforcement officials, reported 5502 arrests for methamphetamine possession and sale in 2008. That figure suggests a larger meth problem in the county than the numbers put forth by the California Attorney General’s Office, and may reflect federal drug enforcement actions not included in the state figures.
If the marijuana figure seems low, take a look at the next set of statistics:
2008 Adult Misdemeanor Drug Arrests
Marijuana — 5,017
All Other Drugs — 6,695
A marijuana misdemeanor is possession of a small amount for personal use. These arrests may have been in addition to a DUI, or perhaps part of the ongoing medical marijuana battle being waged in the county. The misdemeanors for other drugs were probably bookings for trace amounts of meth or cocaine or charges of being under the influence.
Drugs and Juveniles in 2008
The same tables kept by the Attorney General’s Office on juvenile drug arrests show an extremely small figure – a few hundred – and no breakout by type of drug. That is a far from complete picture. The regional planning body SANDAG conducts an annual survey of drug use among juvenile arrestees, and what they found was that 50% of all juveniles arrested during the year tested positive for some sort of illicit substance. 44% of those who tested positive showed evidence of marijuana use and another 10% tested positive for methamphetamine.
The SANDAG survey included a number of interview questions for a representative sample, which produced a couple of alarming answers. Perhaps the most frightening response was the statement that alcohol, meth and LSD were equally easy to obtain. Almost three quarters (73%) of these juveniles saw no health hazards associated with marijuana use.
San Diego County Drug Treatment
Another way to approach the depth and breadth of drug problems in San Diego County is to look at the figures compiled by county operated treatment programs. Usually these programs are where court-mandated drug rehabilitation cases end up. According to the San Diego County Health and Human Services Agency in 2008, more than 13,000 people were admitted into County-funded treatment centers. Of those admitted, approximately 11,000 were adults and 2,000 were under the age of 18. Meth was the primary drug of choice for more than 40 percent of adults entering treatment, with marijuana being the primary drug of choice among adolescents.
The cost of this treatment runs into the millions, but the cost of the law enforcement and criminal justice activity that gets these people into rehab also runs into the millions. The federal efforts to get these drugs off the streets run to tens of millions. And there is no price that can be put to the impact on the thousands of families whose lives have been shredded by the behavior of an active addict.