National Household Survey on Drug Abuse, 1994

This series measures the prevalence and correlates of drug
use in the United States. The surveys are designed to provide
quarterly, as well as annual, estimates. Information is provided on
the use of illicit drugs, alcohol, and tobacco among members of United
States households aged 12 and older. Questions include age at first
use as well as lifetime, annual, and past-month usage for the
following drug classes: marijuana, cocaine (and crack), hallucinogens,
heroin, inhalants, alcohol, tobacco, anabolic steroids, nonmedical use
of prescription-type psychotherapeutic drugs, and polysubstance
use. Respondents were also asked about substance abuse treatment
history, illegal activities, problems resulting from use of drugs,
perceptions of the risks involved, and personal and family income
sources and amounts. Questions on need for treatment for drug or
alcohol use, criminal record, and needle-sharing were also included.
A split sample design using two questionnaires was employed with the
1994 NHSDA. The 1994-A questionnaire is comparable to NHSDA
questionnaires prior to 1994 and contains all of the core questions
from previous NHSDAs. The 1994-B questionnaire, which includes new
questions on access to care and mental health, incorporates
significant changes from the previous questionnaires and can only be
compared to NHSDA surveys in 1995 and beyond. The changes to the
questionnaire were undertaken in order to facilitate respondent
cooperation, enhance the clarity of questions, improve the accuracy of
responses, and increase the reliability of measurements across survey
years. In addition, a rural supplementary sample was included in 1994
to obtain substance abuse prevalence estimates for rural areas.
Demographic data include gender, race, age, ethnicity, marital status,
motor vehicle use, educational level, job status, income level,
veteran status, and past and current household composition.