Epidemiological Survey on Substance Abuse in Germany 2015 (ESA)

Consumption patterns, evidence of clinically relevant consumption and disorders related to the use of tobacco, alcohol, illicit substances and medication. Physical and mental health status.

Topics: 1. Questions on health: self-assessment of health status and mental well-being; chronic diseases; neurological diseases; frequency of physical complaints or pain without clear explanation, anxiety attack / panic attack, frequent worries, strong fears in social situations, strong fears of public places, means of transport or shops, strong fears of various situations, e.g. use of lifts, tunnels, aeroplanes. e.g. use of lifts, tunnels, aeroplanes, severe weather, sadness or low mood, loss of interest, tiredness or lack of energy, unusually happy, hyper or irritable, stressful traumatic events, psychiatric or psychotherapeutic treatment in the last 12 months; physical activity and diet in the last three months: Frequency of physical activity per week; duration of physical activity; frequency of exercise; paid attention to sufficient physical activity; consumption of selected foods (low-fat dairy products, raw vegetables, fresh salads, herbs, fresh fruit, cereal products, herbal tea or fruit tea).

2. Medication use: type of medication use (painkillers, sleeping pills, tranquillisers, stimulants, appetite suppressants, antidepressants, neuroleptics and anabolic steroids) in the last 12 months; frequency of use of painkillers, sleeping pills, tranquillisers, stimulants, appetite suppressants, antidepressants and neuroleptics in the last 30 days and respective prescription by a doctor; frequency of use of anabolic steroids in the last 30 days to support fitness or sporting activities; habits and difficulties in taking medication (difficulty falling asleep without medication, stockpiling of pills, withdrawal, unable to cope with situations without medication, perception of problems with medication use by others, diminishing effect, medication use due to pain, ate less during periods of increased medication use, feeling unwell without medication, amazement at amount of pills, feeling of increased performance); use of opioid and non-opioid painkillers in the last year; prescription by a doctor; tendencies towards dependence: Based on the last 12 months, the following was asked: significant problems in connection with taking the medication (e.g. neglect of household and children, poor performance), situations involving risk of injury while under the influence of medication, unintentional injuries such as accident or fall, legal problems, accusations from family or friends, broken relationships, financial difficulties, physically assaulting or injuring someone, use in larger quantities or for longer periods than prescribed or intended by a doctor, discomfort when stopping the medication and then continuing to take the medication to avoid discomfort, higher doses required for desired effect or weakened effect, unsuccessful attempts to reduce or stop medication use, large amount of time required to obtain medication or recover from effects, restriction of activities, taking medication despite knowledge of harmful effects, craving for medication so strong that resisting or thinking otherwise was not possible.

3. Smoking: smoking status; smoking behaviour: smoked more than 100 cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, pipes in total during lifetime; type of tobacco use (cigarettes, cigars, cigarillos, pipe); shisha (water pipe) smoked in the last 12 months; age at initiation of tobacco use and at start of daily smoking; years smoked; time of last tobacco use; specific number of days in the last month on which cigarettes (or cigars, cigarillos or pipes) were smoked and average number smoked per day; average daily consumption of 20 or more cigarettes (or 10 cigarillos, 7 pipes, 5 cigars) in the last 12 months; time taken to have first cigarette (cigar, cigarillo, pipe) after waking up; difficulty in accepting smoking ban; first cigarette in the morning hardest to give up; smoke more in the morning than the rest of the day; smoke in bed despite illness; serious attempt to quit smoking; no intention to quit smoking at present or to quit smoking in the next 30 days or six months, or already a non-smoker.

E-cigarettes, e-cigars and e-shishas: Knowledge and use of e-cigarettes, e-cigars and e-shisha; age at first e-cigarette/e-cigar/e-shisha and time of last use; specific number of days in the last 30 days that e-cigarettes/e-cigars/e-shisha were used; time to first e-cigarette (e-cigar/e-shisha) after waking up; Use of e-cigarettes/e-cigars/e-shisha with or without nicotine; place of purchase (internet, speciality shops, kiosk, tobacco shop or petrol station, abroad, elsewhere); motivation for use (quit smoking, reduce cigarette consumption, less harmful or cheaper than cigarettes, can be used everywhere, avoid passive smoking, curiosity, taste and smell good, fun); quitting conventional cigarette use as reason for use and successful implementation; assessment of health risks compared to conventional tobacco products.

4. Alcohol consumption: age at first glass of alcohol; alcohol consumption at least once a month; age of onset of regular alcohol consumption; alcohol excesses (binge drinking) in the past and frequency of alcohol excesses in the last 12 months; age at first alcohol excess; time of last alcohol consumption; total number of days with alcohol consumption in the last 30 days or 12 months; concrete information on the average amount of beer, wine/sparkling wine, spirits and alcoholic mixed drinks (alcopops, long drinks, cocktails or punch) consumed in the last 30 days or in the last 12 months; number of days with consumption of at least five glasses of alcohol in the last 30 days or 12 months; frequency of difficulties caused by alcohol consumption in the last 12 months (not being able to stop once drinking has started, not being able to fulfil obligations, drinking in the morning to get going, guilt or bad conscience, memory lapses); concern of relatives, friends or doctor about alcohol consumption as well as own injuries or injuries of third parties under the influence of alcohol in the last 12 months or more than 12 months ago.

5. Drug use: drug experience with cannabis (hashish, marijuana), stimulants, amphetamines, ecstasy, LSD, heroin, other opiates such as e.g. codeine, methadone, opium, morphine), cocaine and crack. codeine, methadone, opium, morphine), cocaine and crack; experience with sniffing substances (glues, solvents, propellants) and mushrooms (toadstools, magic mushrooms (psylocybin) as intoxicants; ever used substances that imitate the effects of illicit drugs (legal highs, research chemicals, bath salts, herbal mixtures or new psychoactive substances (NPS); form of substances consumed (herbal mixtures for smoking, powders, crystals or tablets as well as liquids); generally tried drugs; age of onset for selected drugs, for sniffing substances, mushrooms, legal highs, research chemicals, bath salts, herbal mixtures, NPS or similar; or never used drugs before; frequency of use in total and in the last 12 months of: Cannabis (hashish, marijuana), stimulants, amphetamines, ecstasy, LSD, heroin, other opiates, cocaine, crack, sniffing substances, mushrooms or legal highs, research chemicals, bath salts, herbal mixtures, NPS; time of last use of legal substances (in the last 30 days, in the last 12 months or years before); concrete number of days on which selected illegal drugs, sniffing substances, mushrooms, legal highs, etc. were used (in the last 30 days); use of cannabis or cocaine in the last 12 months; frequency of problems related to the use of cannabis or cocaine in the last 12 months (use no longer under control, concern at the idea of not using cannabis or cocaine, worry about use, desire to stop using); difficulties with abstaining from cannabis or cocaine in the last 12 months.

Amphetamines or methamphetamines: Ever tried amphetamines (speed, pep or paste) or methamphetamines (crystal, crystal speed, crystal meth, meth or crank); frequency of use in the past 12 months overall and in the past 30 days; frequency of problems related to use of amphetamines or methamphetamines. (use no longer under control, worry about not using amphetamine or methamphetamine, worry about use, desire to stop using); difficulty in abstaining from amphetamine or methamphetamine use in the last 12 months.

Demography: sex; age (year of birth); country of birth; length of residence in Germany; German or other citizenship; country of birth, German or other citizenship of parents and length of residence of parents in Germany (migration background); height in centimetres; weight in kilograms; marital status; living with a partner; number of children; number of children in the household; size of household; number of persons in the household under 14 years of age; highest school-leaving qualification; intended school-leaving qualification; highest vocational training qualification; current or former employment; occupational position of parents. current or previous employment; occupational status of current or previous employment; respondent is the main breadwinner in the household; occupational status of the main breadwinner; net household income; questionnaire completed alone.

Additionally coded were: Interview number; sex, year of birth, nationality, and age group according to population registration office; sample identifier; sample point number; municipality ID per federal state (PSU); city size (political municipality size class, BIK municipality size class); West/East Germany; interview mode of collection.