1997 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse

Introduction

Preceding chapters generally present findings from the 1997 NHSDA in terms of individual drugs and problems associated with use of those drugs. A few tables shown earlier in this report (e.g., Tables 3.8, 7.10, 8.7) presented estimates about drugs used in combination with other drugs. These tables show a consistent pattern; use of one type of drug is generally associated with use of other drugs. This also was shown in Chapter 7 with respect to alcohol and cigarette use. This chapter further examines the patterns of multiple drug use, excluding tobacco, among the 1997 NHSDA-surveyed population. It also includes important findings on age at first drug use and rates of needle use. Consistent with previous NHSDA Main Findings, cigarettes, alcohol, and inhalants tend to be first used at relatively early ages, while cocaine and heroin usually begin later.22 Needle use continues to be an important public health and policy issue. The well-established link between needle use and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection suggests that the continued surveillance of national trends in needle use is essential. Although the NHSDA may under represent some subpopulations whose members are most likely to inject drugs, the data provide important information on needle use in the U.S. civilian, noninstitutionalized population aged 12 or older.

22 See, for example, NIDA (1991) for the 1990 NHSDA; OAS (1993) for the 1991 NHSDA; OAS (1995a) for the 1992 NHSDA; OAS (1995b) for the 1993 NHSDA; OAS (1996a) for the 1994 NHSDA; OAS (1997) for the 1995 NHSDA; and OAS (1998a) for the 1996 NHSDA.

This page was last updated on June 16, 2008.

SAMHSA, an agency in the Department of Health and Human Services, is the Federal Government's lead agency for improving the quality and availability of substance abuse prevention, addiction treatment, and mental health services in the United States.