National Survey on Drug Use and Health
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National Survey on Drug Use and Health
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NDSUH) is an annual nationwide survey that provides national and state-level data on the use of alcohol, tobacco, illicit and non-medical prescription drugs in the United States. This annual study is sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), an agency of the U.S. Public Health Service and part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
NSDUH History
Section 505 of the Public Health Service Act authorizes the NSDUH to fulfill the requirement of annual surveys to collect data on the levels and patterns of substance abuse in this country. The NSDUH began in 1971 on a periodic basis and has been conducted annually since 1991.
Research Triangle Institute (RTI), an independent, nonprofit research organization located in Triangle Park, North Carolina, has held the contract to conduct the annual NSDUH survey since 1988. Their current contract extends through 2011. RIT’s role includes study design, sample selection, collection and processing of data, analysis and processing.
The annual survey involves interviews with approximately 70,000 randomly selected individuals aged 12 and older.
NSDUH Project Goals
Data collected from the NSDUH provides national and state-level estimates of past-month, past year, and lifetime use of alcohol, tobacco, illicit drugs and non-medical usage of prescription drugs. Such data provides current, relevant information on the status of drug usage in this nation and is furnished to drug prevention, treatment and research communities. In accessing and monitoring the nature and consequences of drug and alcohol abuse, the NSDUH has the following primary objectives:
• Providing accurate data on the level and patterns of alcohol, tobacco and illicit substance use
• Tracking trends in the use of various types of drugs and alcohol
• Assessing the consequences of both substance use and abuse
• Identifying groups of individuals who are at high risk for substance use and abuse
Who Uses NSDUH Data
Numerous government agencies, individual researchers, private organizations and the general public use the NSDUH data. These include the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Partnership for a Drug-Free America. Federal, state and local agencies use the information from the NSDUH to support drug use prevention programs and to monitor strategies for controlling drugs. These include the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). And state mental health agencies may use the data to estimate the need for drug treatment facilities.
• SAMHSA prepares statistical reports on trends and patterns of substance use and uses this data to help identify populations and geographic areas with particular substance use problems so that federal resources can be more efficiently used in prevention and treatment programs.
• The Partnership for a Drug-Free America uses data from the NSDUH to create advertising campaigns on the prevention of substance use and abuse.
• The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) develops research programs targeted towards populations with the greatest risk and need, based on substance abuse trends and patterns identified in the NSDUH.
• The White House Office of National Drug Control Policy makes use of the NSDUH data in tracking progress toward National Drug Control Strategy goals.
• The Office on Smoking and Health, part of the CDC, uses NSDUH data to study youth tobacco use patterns and trends and to develop tobacco use reduction strategies.
• The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) uses the data on driving after drinking or using illicit substances to develop materials and programs designed to prevent impaired driving.
• The U.S. Department of Education uses the data in drug use prevention education programs and to provide educational materials to teachers and administrators.
• State and local health departments make use of the NSDUH data in assessing their area substance use problems and to develop prevention measures and appropriate funding strategies.
• University-based researchers use the data to further study substance use issues such as risk and protective factors, personal and societal consequences, and the impact of public options for dealing with the problem of substance use.
• Media outlets use the data in documentaries on drug use and abuse.
NSDUH Questions
Primarily seeking to measure drug and alcohol use incidence and prevalence among civilian population aged 12 and older, the NSDUH includes questions on:
• Age at first use
• Lifetime, past month and past year usage of various drugs, including alcohol, any illicit drug, cocaine (including crack), ecstasy, hallucinogens, heroin, inhalants, LSD, marijuana and hashish, methamphetamine, nonmedical use of any psychotherapeutic, pain relievers, PCP, tobacco, tranquilizers, sedatives and stimulants
• Substance abuse treatment history (and perceived need for treatment)
• Questions from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders that allow application of diagnostic criteria
• Personal and family income amounts and sources
• Health care coverage and access
• Arrest record and illegal activities
• Problems resulting from drug use
• Perceived risks
• Needle-sharing
• Demographic data, including age, educational level, ethnicity, gender, household composition, income level, job status, population density, race, and veteran status.
NSDUH Topics
Major topics covered in the annual NSDUH include:
• Illicit Drug Use
• Alcohol Use
• Tobacco Use
• Trends in Initiation of Substance Use
• Youth Prevention-Related Measures
• Substance Dependence, Abuse and Treatment
• Prevalence and Treatment of Mental Health Problems
Where NSDUH Can be Found
The latest and previous NSDUH are published and accessible through the Web site of SAMHSA’s Office of Applied Studies (OAS), http://oas.samhsa.gov/NSDUH.htm#NSDUHnfo/ On that Web site, other reports are available, including state, sub-state, all national NSDUH reports (1994-2006 as of November 2009), short reports, mental health-related reports, and all NSDUH reports (such as analytic, methodological, etc.).
Other information from the NSDUH available on the OAS Web site includes detailed tables, methodologies and questionnaires, mental health-related topics from the NSDUH, analyze data or get quick tables, and what’s new (from the NSDUH).
State estimates of substance abuse from specific NSDUH years (2005-2006 as of November 2009) are available at the OAS at http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/2k6state/toc.cfm. Such state data is available as a full report (PDF, HTML or press release formats). There are links to specific states, as well as information on state trends and all data on states.
How To Obtain Hard Copies of NSDUH
Hard copies of the NSDUH can be obtained free of charge from the OAS. Allow three weeks for processing. Go to the Web site at http://www.samhsa.gov/SHIN or call toll-free 1-877-SAMHSA-7 or 1-800-729-6686. TDD is 1-800-487-4889. Spanish language toll-free number is 1-877-767-8432.
Interested individuals may request a copy by mail from:
SAMHSA
National Health Information Network (SHIN)
P. O. Box 2345
Rockville, MD 20847-2345
--Suzannekane 00:30, 25 November 2009 (UTC)
