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.