ABSTRACT
According to United Nations (UN) estimates, two million cocaine users live in the United States alone, and the number of users elsewhere in the world is growing rapidly (Figure 1.1). e prevalence of cocaine abuse within the United States seems to have been stable for several years and may now be declining (Figure 1.2). A 2010 U.S. survey, released by the Oce of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2010) found that a 9% decline in cocaine usage had occurred from the previous year. Recent evidence suggests that this decline may be just an artifact, due largely to government underestimation of the magnitude of worldwide cocaine production. In fact, the results of one recent study suggest that Colombian production alone may exceed 1000 tons/year (Leoncini and Rentocchini, 2012). at would explain why cocaine is still widely abused within the United States.
