# Crystal in the Gem City: Characterizing a Methamphetamine Outbreak in the Area of a High Prevalence of Illicit Fentanyl Use

> **NIH NIH R21** · ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY-TEMPE CAMPUS · 2020 · $195,428

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
 While substantial public health resources are being devoted to the devastating consequences of the opioid
crisis, methamphetamine (MA) availability and use has increased significantly in many parts of the country.
The Dayton, Ohio, (“GEM CITY”) region is an epicenter of the opioid epidemic that also shows unprecedented
surge in MA availability. This time-sensitive R21 application builds on a longstanding interdisciplinary
partnership between researchers at the Center for Interventions, Treatment and Additions Research and the
Montgomery County Coroner's Office/Miami Valley Regional Crime Lab. The overall purpose of the
proposed study is to characterize the MA outbreak through mixed methods research that integrates
ethnographic/structured interview data, urine toxicology, and forensic data on seized drugs and
unintentional overdose deaths in the Dayton area. To capture the heterogeneity of MA use patterns and
polydrug use practices, we will recruit a sample of 90 active MA users stratified into 3 groups (30 individuals
per group) by their involvement with heroin/NPF: a) CURRENT heroin/NPF use; b) PAST heroin/NPF use; and
c) NEVER heroin/NPF use. The Specific Aims of the study are to: AIM 1: Characterize knowledge, attitudes
and behaviors related to MA use among 90 active MA users (30 “PLUS heroin/NPF”; 30 “PAST heroin/NPF”;
30 “NEVER heroin/NPF”) and conduct preliminary analyzes of similarities and differences among the three
subgroups through integration of ethnographic and structured interview data. AIM 2: Analyze urine toxicology
and assess concordance with self-reported use of MA, NPFs, heroin and other drugs among 90 active MA
users. AIM 3: Analyze forensic data to characterize MA trends in the Dayton area. We will use a concurrent
mixed-methods approach to compare and contrast forensic and ethnographic/structure interview findings to
better understand key dimensions of the evolving MA outbreak. The proposed study is innovative because it
focuses on the relational nature of successive and overlapping drug epidemics (heroin/NPFs and MA), and it
integrates interview data, toxicological analyses, and forensic data. The study will have a high public health
impact because the findings will provide preliminary key indicators to help substance abuse treatment services
and public health authorities gain perspective on the emerging MA trends in the context of the opioid epidemic.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10151328
- **Project number:** 7R21DA049304-02
- **Recipient organization:** ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY-TEMPE CAMPUS
- **Principal Investigator:** Raminta Daniulaityte
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $195,428
- **Award type:** 7
- **Project period:** 2020-06-01 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10151328

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10151328, Crystal in the Gem City: Characterizing a Methamphetamine Outbreak in the Area of a High Prevalence of Illicit Fentanyl Use (7R21DA049304-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10151328. Licensed CC0.

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