On the Web: Statistics in Short Format
By Brian Campbell
SAMHSA's
Web site is making short reports available on substance abuse-related
topics such as alcohol-use trends among young adults, availability
of drugs to female teenagers, and what young people believe about
the risks of using drugs.
The Web documents are designed to extract information and data
from lengthy reports, supply answers that address specific concerns
and groups—such as youth or pregnant women—and make
the data more readily accessible, readable, and easier to understand.
Presented in fact sheet format, the material is derived from key
substance use information sources such as SAMHSA's National Household
Survey on Drug Abuse, which provides annual estimates of the prevalence
of illicit drug, alcohol, and tobacco use in the United States and
monitors trends in use over time.
Another valuable information source, the Drug Abuse Warning Network,
captures information about emergency department visits that are
induced by or related to the use of an illegal drug or the nonmedical
use of a legal drug.
In addition, the Drug and Alcohol Information System provides
data on services available for addiction treatment and the characteristics
of people admitted to treatment.
The online short reports, a service of SAMHSA's Office of Applied
Studies (OAS), are targeted to health professionals; health care
prevention and treatment providers; public health program administrators,
researchers, and educators; and members of the press and media interested
in obtaining more specific and targeted information, statistics,
and data on substance use and abuse. New reports are posted weekly,
and all contain links enabling users to access the more comprehensive
versions.
Each short report begins with a two- to three-bullet summary of
the most salient findings, followed by an introduction to the topic,
a series of brief paragraphs highlighting specific statistics, and
downloadable charts and tables.
Titles are listed by topic areas, including Youth; Risky Behaviors
and Violence; Treatment; American Indians, Alaska Natives, and Other
Racial and Ethnic Groups; Alcohol and Tobacco; Marijuana; Heroin;
Club Drugs, Cocaine, and Other Specific Drugs; Polydrug Use; Women,
Pregnancy, and Other Topics on Women; and Attitudes and Perceptions
About Drug Use.
Selected titles include Club Drugs; Polydrug Use Among Treatment
Admissions; Youth Who Carry Handguns; Beliefs Among Youths About
Risks from Illicit Drug Use; Obtaining Marijuana Easy for Youths;
How Men and Women Enter Substance Abuse Treatment; Women in Substance
Abuse Treatment; Tobacco and Alcohol Use Among Pregnant Women; Pregnancy
and Illicit Drug Use; Older Adults in Substance Abuse Treatment;
and Growth of Managed Care in Substance Abuse Treatment.
To access the reports, visit oas.samhsa.gov/facts.cfm.
The findings are also available in printed form by contacting
the Publications and Data Dissemination Team, OAS/SAMHSA, Parklawn
Building, Suite 16-105, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD 20857.
Telephone: (301) 443-6239.
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