D.C. The H.I.D.T.A. program, overseen by Director McCaffrey and funded by Congress, designates 26 regions of the country which are heavily affected by illegal drug activity. There no longer is any one drug that consumes America as cocaine did in the 1980s. We need to be ready to defend against emerging threats of a wide variety by region, as well as increasingly sophisticated changes in the operations of drug traffickers. Violent gang activities are decreasing. New state legislation has been introduced with laws governing money wiring businesses and the sale of paint thinners and other potential inhalants to minors.
Judges can now instantaneously retrieve information on drug offenders from multiple sources.
Baltimore is seeing an upsurge in ecstasy. High purity and inexpensive heroin is readily available in many areas of the region. Powder and crack cocaine availability also remains high, though use and overdose indicators point to a decrease in its impact on the region. The presence of methamphetamine, while not a substantial threat, is increasing in this region. Hallucinogen usage is active.