Attachments F, V

2015 NSDUH, Supporting Statement
Attachment F – Question & Answer Brochure

Answers

If you have more questions
about NSDUH, please call
1-800-848-4079
or visit our Web site at
http://nsduhweb.rti.org

For more information on SAMHSA or
RTI International, contact:
NSDUH National Study Director
SAMHSA
1 Choke Cherry Road
Room 2-1113
Rockville, MD 20857
www.samhsa.gov

to your questions

The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) provides up-todate information on alcohol, tobacco, and drug use, mental health and
other health-related issues in the United States. NSDUH is directed by the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA),
part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
The study is being conducted by RTI International, a nonprofit research
organization.

National Survey
on Drug Use
and Health

NSDUH National Field Director
RTI International
3040 Cornwallis Road
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
www.rti.org

RTI International is a trade name of Research Triangle Institute.

What Is the National Survey on
Drug Use and Health?

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration. Conducted by RTI International.

NSDUH began in 1971 and is conducted every year. This year almost
70,000 people from across the United States will be interviewed for this
important study.
Information from NSDUH is used to support prevention and treatment
programs, monitor substance use trends, estimate the need for treatment
facilities and assist with the creation of government policy.

Answers to Your Important Questions about the National Survey on Drug Use and Health
Why Should I Participate?
You are important! Your household was one
of only a few in this area selected for this
study, and no other household or person
can take your place.
Every person who is chosen and completes
the full interview will receive $30 in cash at
the end of the interview in appreciation for
their help.
If chosen for an interview, you will represent
the residents of your community and help us
gather important information that is needed
to make sound policy decisions.
Your participation also provides vital
information to researchers and local, state
and federal agencies to design education,
treatment and prevention programs and
receive funding to support these efforts.

What if I Do Not Smoke, Drink
or Use Drugs?
In order to know the percentage of people
who smoke, drink or use drugs, we also
need to know how many people do not.

The responses of people who do not use
these substances are just as important as the
responses of people who do.

All information collected for this study will be
kept confidential and used only for statistical
purposes, as required by federal law – the
Confidential Information Protection and
Statistical Efficiency Act of 2002 (CIPSEA).

While some questions ask about drug
knowledge and experience, other questions
ask about a number of health-related topics
relevant for all people. You do not need to
know anything about drugs to answer the
questions.

What Is the Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services
Administration?

How Was I Chosen?
Household addresses, not specific people,
are randomly selected through scientific
methods. Once a household has been
selected, it cannot be replaced for any
reason. This assures that NSDUH accurately
represents the many different types of people
in the United States.
A professional RTI interviewer will visit your
household to ask several general questions
that only take a few minutes to answer.
Afterwards, one or possibly two members of
your household may be asked to complete
the full interview. It is possible that no one
in your household will be chosen for the
interview.

Your household has been chosen at random, but no one
else can take your place. Your participation matters!

What Will Happen During the
Interview?
An interviewer will conduct the interview
with each selected person using a laptop
computer. No prior computer skills are
necessary.
Participants will answer most of the
interview questions in private, entering their
responses directly into the computer. For
other questions, the interviewer will read the
questions aloud and enter the participant’s
responses into the computer.
The interview takes about one hour to
complete. Persons who complete the full
interview will receive $30 at the end of the
interview as a token of our appreciation.

SAMHSA is an agency in the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services (DHHS).
SAMHSA was created to improve the lives
of people with or at risk for mental and
substance use disorders.
NSDUH is used to help this mission by
gathering data on substance use, problems
related to substance use, and mental health
problems in the United States. The numbers
of people who use various substances, or
have problems related to substance use or
mental health, are important for planning
treatment and prevention services.
SAMHSA selects a qualified survey research
organization to administer NSDUH.
RTI International, a nonprofit research
organization, is under contract with SAMHSA
to conduct NSDUH.

2015 NSDUH, Supporting Statement
Attachment V – NSDUH Highlights and
Newspaper Articles

SELECTED HIGHLIGHTS from the

2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health
Past Month Cigarette Use among Persons Aged 12 or Older,
by Age: 2012
Tobacco Use
•

An estimated 69.5 million Americans
reported current use (during the past
month) of a tobacco product in 2012,
which is 26.7 percent of the population
aged 12 and older. About 57.5 million
(22.1 percent) smoked cigarettes.

•

The graph to the right illustrates past
month cigarette use among persons
age 12 or older.

Alcohol Use
Current Alcohol Use among Persons Aged12-20,
by Age: 2002-2012
•

Slightly more than half of all
Americans age 12 or older, 52.1
percent or an estimated 135.5 million
persons, were current drinkers in the
2012 survey, which is similar to the
133.4 million persons (51.8 percent)
reported in 2011.

•

Although consumption of alcoholic
beverages is illegal for those under
21 years of age, 24.3 percent of this
age group (9.3 million) were current
drinkers in 2012. The graph on the
left displays the current use of
alcohol for 12-20 year olds from
2002 through 2012.

Illicit Drug Use
•

An estimated 23.9 million Americans were current users of illicit drugs in 2012,
meaning they used an illicit drug at least once during the 30 days prior to the interview.
This estimate represents 9.2 percent of the population 12 years old or older.

•

Marijuana is the most commonly used illicit drug, with an estimated 18.9 million current
users, or 7.3 percent of the population 12 years old or older, similar to the 2011 rate of 7.0
percent. Similar to 2011, an estimated 1.6 million persons were current users of cocaine. In
2012, an estimated 6.8 million (2.6 percent) used prescription-type psychotherapeutic drugs
nonmedically in the past month which is similar to the 2011 estimate of 2.4 percent.

Results from the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Summary of National Findings,
DHHS/SAMHSA/CBHSQ, September 2013

Mental Health
•

In 2012, an estimated 16.0 million adults, or 6.9 percent of the population aged 18 or older,
had at least one major depressive episode (MDE) in the past 12 months. Among adults, the
percentage having MDE in the past year varied by age and gender, as shown in the graph below.
Major Depressive Episode in the Past Year among Adults Aged 18 or Older,
by Age and Gender: 2012

Substance Dependence or Abuse among Adults Aged 18 or Older,
by Major Depressive Episode in the Past Year: 2012
•

Persons with past year MDE
were more likely than those
without MDE to have used an
illicit drug in the past year
(28.5 vs. 14.8 percent).

•

Similarly, substance
dependence or abuse was
more prevalent among
persons with MDE than among
those without MDE (20.8 vs.
7.9 percent), as shown in the
graph to the right.

Results from the 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health: Mental Health Findings,
DHHS/SAMHSA/CBHSQ, 2013