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Federal Drug Data Sources

In an effort to allocate resources and formulate drug policy, a variety of information sources are utilized to quantify America's drug problem. This section identifies Federal sources of drug data, while highlighting the frequency of data sets, the sponsoring agencies, target populations and areas of coverage.

General Information

Coverage

Dates

Title

Agency

Description

Population

Geographic Area

Frequency

Drug Use

National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH)

Formerly called the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse.

SAMHSA

The primary source of information on the prevalence, patterns, and consequences of drug and alcohol use and abuse.

General U.S. civilian non- institutionalized population, age 12 and older.

National

Regional

State

Annually

Started 1976

Most Recent 2006

Monitoring the Future (MTF)

NIDA

An ongoing study of the drug-related behaviors, attitudes, and values of American secondary school students, college students, and young adults.

8th, 10th, 12th, College Students, and Young Adults

National

Annually

Started 1972

Most Recent 2007

Survey of Health Related Behaviors Among Military Personnel (PDF)

DoD

Provides a comprehensive worldwide assessment of the prevalence of substance use and other health-related behaviors among military personnel.

Active-duty military personnel in the Army, Navy, Marines, and Air Force.

U.S. military bases worldwide.

Every 2 to 4 years.

Started 1980

Most Recent 2005

Community Epidemiology Work Group (CEWG)

NIDA

Provides ongoing community-level surveillance of drug abuse through analysis of quantitative and qualitative research data.

Data gathered from public health agencies, medical and treatment facilities, criminal justice and correctional offices, law enforcement agencies, and other sources unique to local areas

Local, Multi-jurisdictional

Semi-Annually

Started 1976

Most Recent
June 2007

Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring Program (ADAM)

NIJ

Traced trends in the prevalence and types of drug use among booked arrestees in urban areas.

Formerly Drug Use Forecasting (DUF)

Adult arrestees and juvenile detainees.

Local, Multi-jurisdictional

No longer conducted

Started 1997

Last report 2003

(DUF 1986 to 1996)


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General Information

Coverage

Dates

Title

Agency

Description

Population

Geographic Area

Frequency

Consequences of Use

Economic Cost of Drug Abuse in the United States (PDF)

ONDCP

Details the economic damage illegal drugs inflict on the American economy.

N/A

National

Every four years

Started 2001

Most recent 2002

Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS)

CDC

Monitors priority health-risk behaviors which contribute to the leading causes of mortality and morbidity among youths and adults

School Aged Youth grades 9 through 12

Multi-jurisdictional

Every two years

Started 1998

Most Recent
2007

National Vital Statistics Report (NVSR)

 

CDC

Provides data on drug-induced deaths based on information from all death certificates filed in the 50 states and the District of Columbia.

General population

National

Annual

Started
1979

Most Recent
2004

Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN)

Emergency Department Component

Mortality Component

SAMHSA

Monitors drug abuse patterns and trends and assesses the health hazards associated with drug abuse by involvement of drugs in deaths and emergency department episodes

Drug-related deaths and emergency department episodes.

Multi-jurisdictional

Annually

Started 1972

Most Recent

ED - 2005

ME - 2003


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General Information

Coverage

Dates

Title

Agency

Description

Population

Geographic Area

Frequency

Treatment

Alcohol and Drug Services Study (ADSS)

SAMHSA

ADSS is a nationally representative survey of substance abuse treatment facilities and clients. The data were collected to estimate the client length of stay and the costs of treatment as well as to describe the post-treatment status of clients.

Substance abuse treatment facilities and their clients.

National

Three phases that began in October 1996

National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS)

SAMHSA

Collects information on location, characteristics, and services offered by treatment facilities.

Formerly Uniform Facility Data Set (UFDS).

A component of Drug and Alcohol Services Information System (DASIS)

 

Treatment facilities listed in the Inventory of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (I-SATS).

National

State

Annually

UFDS Started 1980

N-SSATS Started 2000

Most Recent
2005

Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS)

SAMHSA

Provides data on the demographic and substance abuse characteristics of admissions to substance abuse treatment.

A component of Drug and Alcohol Services Information System (DASIS)

Admissions to substance abuse treatment, primarily at facilities receiving public funds. Excludes Federally owned facilities.

National

State

Continuous

Started
1992

Most Recent
2006


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General Information

Coverage

Dates

Title

Agency

Description

Population

Geographic Area

Frequency

Source and Volume of Illegal Drugs

International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INSCR)

DOS

Provides a report on illicit drug-control and money laundering activities in more than 140 countries.

N/A

International

Annually

Started 1996

Most Recent 2008

Federal-Wide Drug Seizure System

DEA

Provides information about drug seizures made by and with the participation of DEA, FBI, Customs Service, Border Patrol, and Coast Guard.

N/A

National

Annually

Started 1998

Most Recent
2004

National Drug Threat Assessment

NDIC

Synthesizes all federal, state, and local counterdrug reporting into a single source of information regarding national-level drug trafficking and abuse trends.

N/A

National

Annually

Started 2001

Most Recent 2007


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General Information

Coverage

Dates

Title

Agency

Description

Population

Geographic Area

Frequency

Enforcement

Uniform Crime Reports

FBI

Presents data on the number of offenses, including drug related offenses known to the police, arrests, and clearances.

City, county, and State law enforcement agencies that represent 94 percent of the general U.S. population.

National

Regional

State

Local

Annually

Started 1930

Most Recent
2005

System to Retrieve Information from Drug Evidence (STRIDE)

Not available online.

DEA

Analyzes drugs bought or seized by DEA and several states and local agencies.

This is the primary source for the Price of Illicit Drugs (PDF) report

N/A

National

Ongoing

Started 1971

Law Enforcement Management and Administrative Statistics (LEMAS)

BJS

Provides national data on the management and administration of law enforcement agencies including the existence of laboratory testing facilities, drug enforcement units, and drug education units.

Law enforcement agencies

National

Periodically

Started 1987

Most Recent 2000


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General Information

Coverage

Dates

Title

Agency

Description

Population

Geographic Area

Frequency

Drug Offenders

Juvenile Court Statistics

OJJDP

Describes cases and juveniles processed for drug related delinquency by the juvenile courts in the United States.

Juveniles in U.S. courts.

National

Annually

Started 1927

Most Recent 2003–2004

Survey of Inmates in Local Jails

BJS

Describes the characteristics of inmates in local jails by drug and alcohol use, criminal history, current offense, health care, and socioeconomic status.

Jail Inmates

National

Periodically

Started 1978

Most Recent 2002

Survey of Inmates in State and Federal Correctional Facilities

BJS

Describes the characteristics of inmates in Federal and state correctional facilities by drug and alcohol use, criminal history, current offense, health care, and socioeconomic status.

Federal and State prison inmates.

National

Every 5 years

Started 1974 for State and 1991 for Federal

Most Recent 2004

Census of Juveniles in Residential Placement

OJJDP

Monitors juvenile custody facilities and residents with drug related offenses.

Replaced Children in Custody (CIC) census.

Private and public juvenile custody facilities.

National

Biennially

Started 1997

Most Recent 2002


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Other Resources

Star

Current State of Drug Policy: Successes and Challenges
This publication provides a graphical presentation of data related to twenty five key indicators that influence the Nation's drug control policy. Charts, maps, and other presentations illustrate drug abuse trends, the current impact of drug abuse, the succes of anti-drug programs, and the international drug production and trafficking situation.

Star

Federal Drug-Related Data Systems Inventory: Report of the Drug Control Research Data, and Evaluation Committee (PDF)
This report presents an inventory of current drug-related data sources from a variety of Federal agencies.

StarNational Drug Control Strategy, 2004 Data Supplement
Provides data on the availability and prevalence of illegal drugs and the criminal, health, and social consequences of their use.
Star

Substance Abuse & Mental Health Data Archive (SAMHDA)
SAMHDA provides access to substance abuse research data to promote the sharing of these data among researchers, policymakers, service providers, and others.

Star

Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics
Brings together data from more than 100 sources about all aspects of criminal justice in the United States.

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