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By Miriam Raftery
June 29, 2023 (San Diego) – Over three-fourths of all adults arrested in San Diego County tested positive for at least one drug, and more than half of those arrested were on meth. Those are the disturbing findings of a new report by the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). The study also found high levels of mental health problems and homelessness among those arrested locally last year.
According to the report, CJ Bulletin: 2022 Adult Arrestee Drug Use in the San Diego Region. the positive rate of meth use in 2022 was 55% for female arrestees and 52% for males. The also found that 77% of males and 75% of females surveyed tested positive for at least one illicit substance, a drop from the 22-year high in 2021 for males but a sharp increase from the second-lowest rate in 2021 for females.
“An important characteristic of this report is looking at the underlying factors and needs these arrestees have that can help prevent rearrests,” said SANDAG Principal Criminal Justice Researcher Octavio Rodriguez. “Continuing efforts to gather information on mental health issues, housing status, and employment is crucial to further understand how these may impact one’s likelihood to struggle with substance use.”
Around 1 in 3 arrestees (32% of males and 33% of females) tested positive for multiple drugs in 2022, (Figure 2). Of those positive for multiple drugs, 74% tested positive for two, 22% for three, and 4% for four drugs. Of those who tested positive for multiple substances, 97% were positive for meth, 95% marijuana (includng both legal and illegal sources), 21% opiates, 11% cocaine/crack, and 6% PCP.
In addition to using illicit drugs, 49% of arrestees reported they had abused prescription drugs, particularly tranquilizers and fentanyl.
8% of males tested positive for opiates and 9% of females tested positive.
While fentanyl use has continued to increase over the years, 86% of arrestees said they would not purchase it and 35% said they used a drug that they believed contained fentanyl without knowing it. Law enforcement authorities locally have previously warned that numerous illicit street drugs have been laced with fentanyl, following a surge in fentanyl deaths here in recent years.
Other notable findings in the SANDAG report include:
- 40% of those arrested reported that they have been diagnosed with a mental health disorder.
- 65% of arrestees have experienced homelessness.
- 29% of arrestees said they had committed a crime to support their drug use.
Somewhat surprisingly, individuals with a violent offense as their highest-level crime charged charge were least likely to test positive for any drugs or for multiple drugs
Since 2000, SANDAG has conducted interviews in local detention facilities through its Substance Abuse Monitoring program. The program helps identify drug use trends among adult and juvenile offender populations to help inform prevention strategies for the San Diego region.
For this analysis, 208 male arrestees were interviewed at the Vista and Central Jails and 97 female arrestees at Las Colinas.
The report’s findings highlight the need to address the root causes of incarceration and for programs such as addiction treatment to reduce recidivism and save lives.
View the complete CJ Bulletin: 2022 Adult Arrestee Drug Use in the San Diego Region
View the CJ Flash: Mental Health Issues Among San Diego Arrestees
View the aggregate data
To view other crime data, visit the SANDAG Open Data Portal.
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