COMPARISON OF COCAINE AND OPIATE EXPOSURES BETWEEN YOUNG URBAN AND SUBURBAN CHILDREN

Objective: To determine the prevalence of cocaine and opiate metabolit es in the urine of young urban and suburban children. Design: Survey. Setting: Urban and suburban emergency departments and private pediatri c practices. Patients: A convenience sample of 1469 children between 1 and 60 months of age who required a urinalysis for investigation of t he chief complaint. Interventions: None. Main Outcome Measures: Urine was screened for benzoylecgonine and opiates using an enzyme-multiplie d immunoassay technique and a fluorescence-polarization immunoassay, b oth with a sensitivity of 50 ng/mL. Results: Benzoylecogonine was iden tified in the urine of 45 children (3.1%) (95% CI, 2.2% to 3.9%) and o piates in the urine of 38 children (2.6%) (95% CI, 1.8% to 3.4%). No d ifference was observed between urban and suburban health care faciliti es in the percentage of patients whose urine tested positive for benzo ylecgonine (29 of 1011 vs 16 of 458, P=.6) or opiates (28 of 1011 vs 1 0 of 458, P=.6). Conclusion: Exposure to illicit drugs, as reflected b y urinary metabolites, is similar for urban and suburban children.