Pulse Check

Pulse Check is a report prepared by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) that provides a snapshot of the current drug scene in selected cities across the United States over a 6-month period. Pulse Check has been published on either a quarterly or semi-annual basis since 1992 and regularly provides up-to-date information on recent and changing trends in the use of heroin, crack and powder cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine. It also monitors any new emerging drugs or trends that appear to be spreading across the country and occasionally reports on special topics, such as the impact of September 11 on drug use.

The report is based on information gathered through 1-hour telephone conversations with four individuals (one ethnographer or one epidemiologist, one law enforcement ...