Domains: Substance Use & Substance Use Disorders
Indicators: Substance Use & Substance Use Disorders Among Population 12 Years or Older
Data Source: National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)
Time Period: 2010–2012 and 2012–2014

Download full Cross-Site Data / NSDUH: National Survey on Drug Use and Health

NSDUH is an ongoing survey addressing substance use and mental health issues among the civilian, noninstitutionalized population of the United States aged 12 years or older. NSDUH is planned and managed by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality (CBHSQ). SAMHSA makes available substate estimates based on 3 years of combined survey data. [See Overview and Limitations of NSDUH for more information about the survey and substate estimation methods]. For this report the estimates from 2 time periods, 2010-2012 and 2012-2014, are compared. Although information on a wide variety of drugs is collected by NSDUH, substate estimates are only available for a subset of drug categories (described below):

• Alcohol and Binge Alcohol (defined as drinking 5 or more drinks on the same occasion)
• Marijuana
• Any Illicit Drug Other Than Marijuana (includes cocaine (including crack), heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants, or prescription-type psychotherapeutics used nonmedically)
• Cocaine
• Nonmedical Pain Relievers
• Substance Use Disorders (based on DSM-IV)

The purpose of this report is to present findings from the 12 NDEWS Sentinel Community Sites (SCSs). However, the NSDUH substate regions do not always correspond exactly to the catchments areas of each SCS. Therefore, NDEWS staff included the NSDUH regions that most closely correspond to each SCS’s catchment area. While there are 12 SCSs, these tables utilize 15 NSDUH regions. This is because 2 regions were used for the Chicago Metro SCS and three for the Southeastern Florida (Miami area) SCS. [See Overview and Limitations of NSDUH for more information about the NSDUH substate regions that were used to represent the NDEWS SCS].

The following three tables are designed to show changes in each SCS in the estimates of past month and past year use of selected drugs and substance use disorders from the 2010-2012 time period to the 2012-2014 time period. These tables indicate statistically significant (p<.05) changes across these two time periods by green (decreases) or red (increases) arrows. The catchment area for the Wayne County SCS has changed since 2012 so estimates but no changes were assessed for this SCS.

Highlights

Statistically Significant Changes between 2010-2012 and 2012-2014

Table 1a shows past month binge alcohol use, marijuana use and use of an illicit drug other than marijuana.

Binge alcohol. The only statistically significant change in past month binge alcohol use was found in the state of Texas, where there was a decrease from 23.62% to 22.34%.

Marijuana. Past month marijuana use increased in 3 SCSs (Maine (8.41% to 11.72%), New York City (7.40% to 8.43%) and Broward County, Florida (5.29% to 6.92%). Marijuana use also increased nationally (7.01% to 7.73%).

Illicit drug other than marijuana. Past month use of an illicit drug other than marijuana only changed in Los Angeles where it increased (3.47% to 4.02%).
 
Table 1b shows past year use of cocaine and nonmedical pain relievers.

Cocaine. There were no statistically significant changes in past year use of cocaine in any of the SCS or nationally.

Nonmedical pain relievers. The use of nonmedical pain relievers in the past year declined nationally (4.63% to 4.31%) and in Maine (4.22% to 3.59%).

Table 1c shows estimates of substance use disorder in the past year for any illicit drugs or alcohol, alcohol or illicit drugs.

Illicit drugs or alcohol. There were no statistically significant changes nationally or in any of the SCSs in substance use disorder for alcohol or any illicit drug in the past year.

Alcohol. There were no changes nationally or in any of the SCSs in substance use disorder for alcohol in the past year.
Illicit Drugs. There were no changes nationally or in any of the SCSs in substance use disorder for an illicit drug in the past year.