National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) Series (1979+)

Formerly titled National Household Survey on Drug Abuse. Strives to provide accurate data on the level and patterns of licit and illicit drug use, track trends in the use of alcohol and various types of drugs, assess the consequences of drug use and abuse, and identify groups with a high risk for drug abuse to assess and monitor the nature of drug and alcohol use and the consequences of abuse. Primarily measures drug and alcohol use incidence and prevalence among the general civilian population aged 12 and older in the United States. Questions include age at first use, as well as lifetime, annual, and past-month usage for the following drugs: alcohol, marijuana, cocaine (including crack), hallucinogens, heroin, inhalants, tobacco, pain relievers, tranquilizers, stimulants, and sedatives. Covers substance abuse treatment history and perceived need for treatment, and includes questions from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders that allow diagnostic criteria to be applied. Respondents were also asked about personal and family income sources and amounts, health care access and coverage, illegal activities and arrest record, problems resulting from the use of drugs, perceptions of risks, and needle-sharing. Demographic data include gender, race, age, ethnicity, educational level, job status, income level, veteran status, household composition, and population density.   While geography is not available at the individual level, some cross tabulations can be found for select variables in which cell sizes are sufficient at the state level through RDAS.  In addition reports exist at the state level.