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U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Reduce the proportion of adolescents who used drugs in the past month — SU‑05 Data Methodology and Measurement

On this page:  About this objective  |  Methodology  |  History

About this objective

Data

Data Source:  National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), SAMHSA

National baseline: 7.5 percent of adolescents aged 12 to 17 years reported use of illicit drugs in the past 30 days in 2021

National target: 6.3 percent

Numerator
Number of adolescents aged 12 to 17 years who reported using any illicit drugs during the past 30 days.
Denominator
Number of adolescents aged 12 to 17 years.
National target-setting method
Minimal statistical significance
National target-setting method details
Minimal statistical significance, assuming the same standard error for the target as for the baseline.
National target-setting method justification
Trend data are not available due to the NSDUH redesign. Data from 2021 cannot be compared or combined with data from previous years. The standard error was used to calculate a target based on minimal statistical significance, assuming the same standard error for the target as for the baseline. This method was used because it was a statistically significant improvement from the baseline. The Workgroup Subject Matter Experts viewed this as an ambitious yet achievable target.

Methodology

Questions used to obtain the national baseline data

(For additional information, please visit the data source page linked above.)

From the 2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health:

Numerator:

[The following questions are asked separately for each illicit drug: marijuana or hashish; cocaine; 'crack'; heroin; LSD, also called 'acid'; PCP, also called 'angel dust' or Phencyclidine; Peyote; Mescaline; Psilocybin; 'Ecstasy', also called MDMA; any other hallucinogens besides the ones that have been listed; Amyl nitrite, 'poppers,' locker room odorizers, or 'rush'; Correction fluid, degreaser, or cleaning fluid; Gasoline or lighter fluid; Glue, shoe polish, or toluene; Halothane, ether, or other paint solvents; Lighter gases, such as butane or propane; Nitrous oxide or 'whippets'; Spray paints; or Other aerosol sprays.]

Have you ever, even once, used [marijuana or hashish]?
  1. Yes
  2. No
How long has it been since you last used [marijuana or hashish]?
  1. Within the past 30 days - that is, since [DATE]
  2. More than 30 days ago but within the past 12 months
  3. More than 12 months ago

[The following question is asked separately for non- medical use of the following: Darvocet, Darvon, or Tylenol with codeine; Percocet, Percodan, or Tylox; Vicodin, Lortab, or Lorcet.]

Have you ever, even once, used [Darvocet, Darvon, or Tylenol with codeine] that was not prescribed for you or that you took only for the experience or feeling it caused?
  1. Yes
  2. No

Please look at the pain relievers shown below the red line on Card A.

[List on Card A: Codeine; Demerol; Dilaudid; Fioricet; Fiorinal; Hydrocodone; Methadone; Morphine; Oxycontin; Phenaphen with Codeine; Propoxyphene; SK-65; Stadol; Talacen; Talwin; Talwin NX; Tramadol; Ultram.]

Have you ever, even once, used any of these pain relievers when they were not prescribed for you or that you took only for the experience or feeling they caused?
  1. Yes
  2. No
Which of the pain relievers shown below the red line on Card A have you used when they were not prescribed for you or that you took only for the experience or feeling they caused?

Have you ever, even once, used any other prescription pain reliever, besides the ones shown on Card A, when it was not prescribed for you or that you took only for the experience or feeling it caused?

  1. Yes
  2. No
How long has it been since you last used any prescription pain reliever that was not prescribed for you or that you took only for the experience or feeling it caused?
  1. Within the past 30 days - that is, since [DATE]
  2. More than 30 days ago but within the past 12 months
  3. More than 12 months ago

[The following question is asked separately for non- medical use of the following tranquilizers: Klonopin or Clonazepam; Xanax, Alprazolam, Ativan, or Lorazepam; Valium or Diazepam.]

Have you ever, even once, used [Klonopin or Clonazepam] that was not prescribed for you or that you took only for the experience or feeling it caused?
  1. Yes
  2. No

Please look at the tranquilizers shown below the red line on Card B.

[List on Card B: Atarax; BuSpar; Equanil; Flexeril; Librium; Limbitrol; Meprobamate; Miltown; Rohypnol; Serax; Soma; Tranxene; Vistaril.]

Have you ever, even once, used any of these tranquilizers when they were not prescribed for you or that you took only for the experience or feeling they caused?
  1. Yes
  2. No
Which of the tranquilizers shown below the red line on Card B have you used when they were not prescribed for you or that you took only for the experience or feeling they caused?

Have you ever, even once, used any other tranquilizers, besides the ones shown on Card B, when it was not prescribed for you or that you took only for the experience or feeling it caused?

  1. Yes
  2. No
How long has it been since you last used any prescription tranquilizer that was not prescribed for you or that you took only for the experience or feeling it caused?
  1. Within the past 30 days - that is, since [DATE]
  2. More than 30 days ago but within the past 12 months
  3. More than 12 months ago

[The following question is asked separately for non- medical use of the following stimulants: Methamphetamine, Desoxyn, or Methedrine; prescription diet pills, such as Amphetamines, Benzedrine, Biphetamine, Fastin, or Phentermine; Ritalin or Methylphenidate.]

Have you ever, even once, used [Methamphetamine, Desoxyn, or Methedrine] that was not prescribed for you or that you took only for the experience or feeling it caused?
  1. Yes
  2. No

Please look at the stimulants shown below the red line on Card C.

[List on Card C: Cylert; Dexedrine; Dextroamphetamine; Didrex; Eskatrol; Ionamin; Mazanor; Obedrin - L.A.; Plegine; Preludin; Sanorex; Tenuate.]

Have you ever, even once, used any of these stimulants when they were not prescribed for you or that you took only for the experience or feeling they caused?
  1. Yes
  2. No
Which of the stimulants shown below the red line on Card C have you used when they were not prescribed for you or that you took only for the experience or feeling they caused?

Have you ever, even once, used any other prescription stimulant, besides the ones shown on Card C when it was not prescribed for you or that you took only for the experience or feeling it caused?

  1. Yes
  2. No
How long has it been since you last used any prescription stimulant that was not prescribed for you or that you took only for the experience or feeling it caused?
  1. Within the past 30 days - that is, since [DATE]
  2. More than 30 days ago but within the past 12 months
  3. More than 12 months ago

[The following question is asked separately for non- medical use of the following prescription sedatives: Methaqualone, Sopor, or Quaalude; barbiturates such as Nembutal, Pentobarbital, Seconal, Secobarbital, or Butalbital; Restoril or Temazepam.]

Have you ever, even once, used [Methaqualone, Sopor, or Quaalude] that was not prescribed for you or that you took only for the experience or feeling it caused?

  1. Yes
  2. No

Please look at the sedatives shown below the red line on Card D.

[List on Card D: Amytal; Butisol; Chloral Hydrate; Dalmane; Halcion; Phenobarbital; Placidyl; Tuinal.]

Have you ever, even once, used any of these sedatives when they were not prescribed for you or that you took only for the experience or feeling they caused?
  1. Yes
  2. No
Which of the sedatives shown below the red line on Card D have you used when they were not prescribed for you or that you took only for the experience or feeling they caused?

Have you ever, even once, used any other prescription sedative, besides the ones shown on Card D, when it was not prescribed for you or that you took only for the experience or feeling it caused?

  1. Yes
  2. No
How long has it been since you last used any prescription sedative that was not prescribed for you or that you took only for the experience or feeling it caused?
  1. Within the past 30 days - that is, since [DATE]
  2. More than 30 days ago but within the past 12 months
  3. More than 12 months ago

Methodology notes

Illicit drug use by adolescents aged 12 to 17 years is defined as using at least one of the following substances in the past month: marijuana or hashish, cocaine (including "crack"), inhalants, hallucinogens (including PCP and LSD), heroin, or any nonmedical use of analgesics, tranquilizers, stimulants, or sedatives. The answers for each of the substances are examined for each respondent. Persons are considered to have used illicit drugs if they report use in the past 30 days of any one of the substances.

NSDUH does not consider the use (but not misuse) of prescription psychotherapeutic drugs to be illicit drug use. Responses to questions about the use of the following drugs were not included in these measures: GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate), kratom, nonprescription cough or cold medicines, synthetic marijuana, synthetic stimulants, illegally made fentanyl, and CBD or hemp products.

History

Comparable HP2020 objective
Modified, which includes core objectives that are continuing from Healthy People 2020 but underwent a change in measurement.
Changes between HP2020 and HP2030
This objective differs from Healthy People 2020 objective SA-13.1 in that objective SA-13.1 tracked adolescent-reported use of alcohol or illicit drugs during the past 30 days, while this objective tracks adolescent-reported use of illicit drugs during the past 30 days.
Revision History
Revised. 

In 2024, the baseline was revised from 8.0% in 2018 to 7.5% in 2021. The target setting method was revised from projection to MSS. The target was revised from 5.5% to 6.3% using the new target setting method.
Trend issues
SAMHSA started multimode data collection (in-person and web-based collection) for the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) beginning in Quarter 4 (i.e., October to December) of 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic. The 2021 NSDUH is based on both in-person and web interviews. Prior to 2020, NSDUH data are based on in-person data collection alone. The 2020 NSDUH included only 2 quarters (Quarters 1 and 4) of data collection unlike the four quarters of data collected in other years. Several analyses were conducted to investigate the impacts of these and related methodological issues on estimates for 2021. Using the outcomes of the comparability analyses, the following decisions were made regarding the 2021 NSDUH data. • Estimates from 2021 cannot be compared with those in 2019 or prior years because estimates from a multimode year are not comparable with estimates from a single-mode year. Estimates of change from 2019 or earlier to 2021 would probably be too greatly influenced by the mode effect. • Because of effects on estimates when some quarters of data are excluded or missing, 2020 estimates (based on two quarters of data) cannot be compared with those of any other year, including 2021. Using only 2 quarters of data may yield a different trend than use of 4 quarters of data. • NSDUH data from 2021 should not be combined or compared with any prior data.