Frequently Asked Questions
How long can a drug be detected in one's system?
You can view information
about drug detection times in the "Pros
and Cons of the Various Drug Testing Methods" table found in the
ONDCP resource, What
You Need to Know about Drug Testing in Schools. We also suggest you contact
a drug testing facility directly for information and assistance.
Where can I find data on drug-related deaths?
Statistics on drug related deaths
are available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's annual mortality
report. Additionally, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration's (SAMHSA) annual medical
examiner report features drug-related fatalities from selected areas across
the United States. In addition to providing the total number of drug-related
deaths in each area, the report provides the number of instances individual
drugs are involved in drug deaths.
Where can I learn more about the availability of illegal drugs in the United
States?
Information on the availability of illegal drugs in the United States can
be found in the National Drug Intelligence
Center (NDIC) annual report, National
Drug Threat Assessment and the Drug
Enforcement Administration's (DEA) State Fact Sheets.
Where can I locate information on the price and purity of illegal drugs?
Information on the price and purity of illicit drugs can be found in ONDCP's Price and Purity of Illicit Drugs: 1981-2007 and it's Technical Report. Also see the National Drug Intelligence Center's annual National Drug Threat Assessment reports for additional price and purity data.
Where can I locate information on drug-facilitated rape and sexual assault?
Information about drug-facilitated rape and sexual assault can be found in
the National Institute of Justice
(NIJ) report, Estimate
of the Incidence of Drug-Facilitated Sexual Assault in the U.S. For
additional information on this topic, please visit the Date
Rape Drugs section of the U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS) Web site.
Where can I view information about methadone?
Please consult with your physician or treatment provider.
You can also contact the following organizations for information:
- American Association for the Treatment
of Opioid Dependence
Phone: (212) 566–5555
E-mail - Center for Substance Abuse Treatment
(CSAT) Division of Pharmacologic Therapies
Phone: (240) 276–2700
E-mail
How many juveniles use illegal drugs?
Information and statistics concerning juvenile drug use can be found in the
following resources:
- America’s Children: Key National Indicators of Well-Being
- Juveniles and Drugs Facts & Figures
- Monitoring the Future
- National Survey on Drug Use and Health
- Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System
I am a parent concerned about my child's drug use. Do you have resources
that can assist me?
Resources designed to assist parents who are concerned about a child's
drug use include: the ONDCP resource, Suspect
Your Teen Is Using Drugs or Drinking? A Brief Guide to Action For Parents;
the Partnership for a Drug-Free America
(PDFA) resource, Helping
Others with a Drug Problem; and the A
Family Guide to Keeping Youth Mentally Healthy and Drug-Free Web site.
Additionally, the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) operates a telephone hotline
and Web site to assist in locating drug treatment programs throughout the
United States if this is something you feel you need. The hotline number
is 800-662-HELP. To access program information via the Internet, please
visit the Treatment Facility Locator Web
site.
How can I help my friend if he/she is abusing drugs or alcohol?
The following Web sites and resources have been developed for individuals
who are concerned about a friend's use of drugs:
- Helping Others with a Drug Problem
- Step Up: Have a Friend That Needs Help?
- Helping a Friend with a Drug Problem
- A Guide for Teens: Does your friend have an alcohol or other drug problem? What can you do to help?
Where can I view information about medical marijuana?
On April 20th, 2006, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an Inter-Agency
Advisory Regarding Claims Smoked Marijuana Is a Medicine concluding that
no sound scientific studies have supported medical use of smoked marijuana
for treatment in the United States, and no animal or human data support the
safety or efficacy of smoked marijuana for general medical use. There are
alternative FDA-approved medications in existence for treatment of many of
the proposed uses of smoked marijuana. For example, a prescription drug,
Marinol, is currently available to anyone with a doctor's prescription. Marinol
contains THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, and has been approved for
some of the same uses as medicinal marijuana. To learn more about "medical
marijuana," visit the following Web sites:
What is hemp?
Hemp products are derived from the cannabis plant. These cannabis products
often contain the hallucinogenic substance tetrahydrocannabinols (THC). You
can view information concerning hemp on the following Web sites:
- Industrial Hemp in the United States: Status and Market Potential
- DEA Clarifies Status of Hemp in the Federal Register
- Exemption from Control of Certain Industrial Products and Materials Derived from the Cannabis Plant
Is information available on why marijuana remains an illegal substance?
The following resources provide information about marijuana and why it remains
a controlled substance:
- Denial of Marijuana Rescheduling
- Speaking Out Against Drug Legalization
- The DEA Position on Marijuana
- Marijuana Myths & Facts: The Truth Behind 10 Popular Misperceptions
- What Americans Need to Know About Marijuana
How do I report a suspected meth lab?
To report a suspected meth lab, contact your local law enforcement agency
(police department or Sheriff's Office). You may also notify your local Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA) Field Office.
Where can I view state-specific data on methamphetamine?
You can view state-specific data on methamphetamine via the Substance
Abuse and Use Data by State section of the Substance
Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Web site,
the Meth In Your
State section of the MethResources Web
site, as well as the State
Factsheets and the Maps
of Methamphetamine Lab Incidents sections of the Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA) Web site.
How do I sign up for the DiscussMeth Web Forum?
Please visit the Join
Our Community section of the DiscussMeth
Web Forum site to sign up and begin communicating with your colleagues.
Is a database of locations that were used in the production of methamphetamine
available?
The Drug Enforcement Administration
(DEA) has created a National
Clandestine Laboratory Register, which contains addresses of locations
where law enforcement agencies reported they found chemicals or other items
that indicated the presence of either clandestine drug laboratories or dumpsites.
Your state-level Department of Public Safety, State Police, or environmental
agency may also be able to assist you in locating lab/dumpsite locations.
How can I order the "Life or Meth" resources?
The "Life or Meth" resources created by the Midwest High Intensity
Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) can be obtained by contacting Midpoint National,
Inc. at 800–611–0779. We also suggest you visit the Publications
and Research section of our MethResources
Web site for additional methamphetamine materials.
How should unused prescription drugs be disposed?
You can view information
about the proper disposal of prescription drugs in the ONDCP Fact Sheet, Proper
Disposal of Prescription Drugs.
How can I report drugs being sold on the Internet?
Please report the sale of drugs on the Internet or emails advertising the
sale of drugs to the following agencies: the Internet
Crime Complaint Center (IC3), the Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA) Diversion Control Program, and the Food
and Drug Administration (FDA) (for prescription drugs). Additionally,
the DEA has launched a toll-free international hotline to report the illegal
sale and abuse of pharmaceutical drugs: 1-877-RxAbuse (1-877-792-2873).
Finally, you may also anonymously report drug activity to the DEA via the DEA's
Submit a Tip Web site.
Are prescription drug monitoring programs effective at controlling prescription
drug abuse?
Information on the effectiveness of prescription drug monitoring programs
is available in the U.S. Government Accountability
Office report, Prescription
Drugs: State Monitoring Programs Provide Useful Tool to Reduce Diversion and
the Simeone Associates,
Inc. report, Evaluation
of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs. For additional information,
visit the Alliance of States
with Prescription Monitoring Programs Web site.
How do I obtain a DEA license/application?
ONDCP does not handle DEA applications or registration matters. Please contact
the DEA directly at 800-882-9539 for assistance. We also suggest you visit
the DEA Diversion Control Program Web
site for information and resources, including forms that
can be filled out online. There is also a Frequently
Asked Questions section on the Diversion Control site, which you may find
useful.
What is doping?
Doping is the use of a substance or method that is potentially harmful to
the athlete's health and/or is capable of enhancing performance. It also refers
to the presence in an athlete's body of a prohibited substance or evidence
of the use of a prohibited method. The following publications and Web sites
provide information on the use of steroids and performance-enhancing drugs:
- Anabolic Steroid Abuse
- A Dangerous and Illegal Way to Seek Athletic Dominance and Better Appearance
- Doping
- NIDA for Teens: Anabolic Steroids
- Research Report: Anabolic Steroid Abuse
- Steroids Facts & Figures
Are resources available on the use of steroids and other performance-enhancing
drugs by athletes?
Resources on the use of steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs
by athletes can be found on the Drugs & Sports section
of our Web site, in the World
Anti-Doping Agency Annual Reports, and in the Anabolic
Steroid Abuse Research Report, produced by the National
Institute on Drug Abuse.
What is the potential impact of using marijuana while pregnant?
According to the National Institute on
Drug Abuse (NIDA): "Research has shown that babies born to women
who used marijuana during their pregnancies display altered responses to
visual stimuli, increased tremulousness, and a high-pitched cry, which may
indicate problems with neurological development. During infancy and preschool
years, marijuana-exposed children have been observed to have more behavioral
problems and to perform tasks of visual perception, language comprehension,
sustained attention, and memory more poorly than nonexposed children do.
In school, these children are more likely to exhibit deficits in decision-making
skills, memory, and the ability to remain attentive."
This information can be found in NIDA's Marijuana Abuse Research Report.
Are resources available on how to keep my daughter healthy and drug-free?
Resources on how to keep your daughter healthy and drug-free are available
on the Girls & Drugs section
of TheAntiDrug.com Web site. Additional
parenting resources are available on the Advice section
of TheAntiDrug.com Web site.