NATIONAL HOUSEHOLD SURVEY ON DRUG ABUSE: multiple drugs

1997 National Household Survey on Drug Abuse

Multiple Drug Use (Tables 10.1 to 10.3)

As indicated in Table 10.1, nearly half of the 216 million persons represented in the 1997 NHSDA reported using only one substance in their lifetime (48%). For almost all of these single substance users, the substance used was alcohol (47%). Fewer than 1% of the household population reported lifetime illicit drug use but no alcohol use. Slightly more than one-third (35%) reported the use of multiple substances in their lifetime. Respondents aged 26 to 34 were the most likely to have used alcohol and at least one illicit drug in their lifetime (50%), while those age 35 or older were the most likely to report use of alcohol only (56%).

Tables 10.2 and 10.3 present drug use patterns for the surveyed population during the past year and past month, respectively. The use of alcohol only was the most common pattern for both of these time periods, particularly among respondents aged 26 or older. The rate of multiple drug use was highest among respondents aged 18 to 25 for both past year (24%) and past month (14%). The most common combination of drugs used was alcohol and marijuana only, accounting for more than half of the multiple drug users in the past year and past month. Approximately 1% of the surveyed population reported past year and past month use of illicit drugs only.

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.

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