Tough action by Mexico is driving down the cocaine supply in 26 U.S. cities, says a declassified Drug Enforcement Administration analysis reported by USA Today. Prices have spiked sharply and purity has decreased since September 2006, DEA says. A gram of pure cocaine sold for about $118.70 in the spring, a 29 pecent increase from last fall. Purity decreases when dealers add ingredients like such as baby formula and sugar to stretch the supply.
“The law enforcement community and intelligence community is asking, ‘How did this work?’ and ‘How do we keep it going?’ ” says White House drug czar John Walters. “Less cocaine, less crack means fewer victims of drugs.” About 2.5 percent of the U.S. population reports using cocaine in the past year; 2 million people are current users, says the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. In Cleveland, which noted a drug-market contraction in January, homicides are up as drug sellers vie for the shrinking cocaine supply.
Link: http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/2007-09-12-cocaine_N.htm