This report is the first presenting State estimates from the 2002 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), formerly called the National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA). The survey, sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), collects information from residents of households, residents of noninstitutionalized group quarters, and civilians living on military bases. In 2002, NSDUH collected interview data from approximately 68,000 respondents. Estimates for all persons aged 12 or older are provided for 20 different measures related to substance use or mental health. For each measure, States have been ranked and categorized into quintiles, or fifths, in order to simplify the discussion.
Methodological changes introduced in 2002 affected respondent participation rates and response patterns, resulting in changes in prevalence estimates. Therefore, the findings from the 2002 NSDUH should not be compared with results from the 2001 or earlier NHSDAs. The 2002 survey represents a new baseline for the State estimates as well as for the national estimates.
Illicit Drug Use
Estimates of past month use of any illicit drug ranged from a low of 6.1 percent in Iowa to a high of 12.4 percent in the District of Columbia for all persons aged 12 or older. The States with the highest rates of any illicit drug use were mostly in the West (six States) and the Northeast (three States). Most of the States that displayed the lowest rates in the Nation were either from the South (five States) or the West (three States). (Table A.1, Figure 2.1)
Alabama had the lowest rate (4.4 percent) of past month use of marijuana among persons aged 12 or older. The District of Columbia had the highest rate (10.8 percent). All 10 States in the top fifth for use of an illicit drug were ranked in the top fifth for past month use of marijuana. (Table A.2, Figures 2.1 and 2.5)
The State with the lowest rate of perceived great risk of using marijuana occasionally (once a month) among persons aged 12 or older was Massachusetts (24.9 percent). The lowest perceptions of great risk of marijuana use were found in the Western and Northeastern States. (Table A.3 and Figure 2.9)
A number of States (six) that fell into the top fifth for past month use of an illicit drug also were ranked in the top fifth for past month use of an illicit drug other than marijuana. These States were Alaska, District of Columbia, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington. Arizona had the highest prevalence rate for past month use of any illicit drug other than marijuana (4.9 percent) among all persons aged 12 or older. (Table A.5, Figures 2.1 and 2.17)
The highest rate of past year cocaine use among persons aged 12 or older was found in the District of Columbia (4.1 percent). The national prevalence rate for the use of cocaine in the past year among all persons aged 12 or older was 2.5 percent. Colorado was the only State that ranked in the top fifth for all three age groups (12 to 17, 18 to 25, and 26 or older) for the past year use of cocaine. (Table A.6, Figures 2.21 to 2.24)
Alcohol Use
The States in the top fifth for past month use of alcohol among persons aged 12 or older were primarily Northern States, including six States in the Northeast, one in the Midwest, and one in the West. All of the States in the lowest fifth were from the South, except for Utah (West region). Utah had the lowest rate (33.0 percent) of past month alcohol use in the Nation among persons aged 12 or older. New Jersey reported the highest rate in the 12 or older population (61.1 percent). (Table A.7, Figure 3.1)
Utah had the lowest rate of binge alcohol use among all persons aged 12 or older (16.6 percent) in the Nation. North Dakota had the highest rate among those aged 18 to 25 (55.8 percent), among youths aged 12 to 17 (16.4 percent), and among all persons aged 12 or older (30.0 percent). Most of the States in the top fifth for past month binge use of alcohol for persons aged 12 or older were in the Northern part of the United States. (Table A.8, Figures 3.5 to 3.7)
People's perceptions of the risk of binge drinking were moderately related to their actual rates of binge drinking at the State level in 2002. Six of the States with the highest rates of binge use of alcohol in 2002 also were States with the lowest perceived risk of binge drinking for the population aged 12 or older. Not surprisingly, Utah reported the highest prevalence of perceived great risk of binge drinking: 49.9 percent for all persons aged 12 or older, 47.7 percent for youths aged 12 to 17, and 53.5 percent for persons aged 26 or older.
(Table A.9, Figures 3.5, 3.9, 3.10, and 3.12)
Tobacco Use
Approximately 71.5 million Americans aged 12 or older used a tobacco product in the past month in 2002, a prevalence rate of about 30 percent. The State with the highest prevalence rate for tobacco use was Arkansas (39.9 percent). As was the case with alcohol, Utah had the lowest rate in the Nation for tobacco use among all persons aged 12 or older (22.0 percent). (Table A.10)
Eight of the States that ranked in the highest fifth for past month tobacco use also ranked in the highest fifth for cigarette use for all persons aged 12 or older. Three States fell into the highest fifth for past month cigarette use in all three age groups (12 to 17, 18 to 25, and 26 or older): Kentucky, Missouri, and North Carolina. Kentucky had the highest rate of cigarette use in the Nation (33.8 percent), and Utah reported the lowest rate (18.9 percent) for all persons aged 12 or older. (Table A.11, Figures 4.1 and 4.5 to 4.8)
States with high prevalence rates for cigarette use tended to have low rates of perceived risk of heavy cigarette use. Six of the States ranked in the lowest fifth for perceptions of great risk of smoking one or more packs of cigarettes a day also were ranked in the highest fifth for past month cigarette use. Kentucky reported the lowest rate of perception of great risk for heavy cigarette use (62.6 percent).
(Table A.12, Figures 4.5 and 4.9)
Substance Dependence, Abuse, and Treatment Need
The national rate for past year dependence on or abuse of alcohol or illicit drugs among persons aged 12 or older was about 9.4 percent. State percentages ranged from a low of 7.6 percent in Alabama to a high of 12.7 percent in the District of Columbia. (Table A.17)
Nationally, 7.7 percent of the population aged 12 or older in 2002 was classified with dependence on or abuse of alcohol in the past year. State estimates ranged from 6.3 percent in Alabama to 10.2 percent in Nebraska. States in the highest fifth tended to be Western or Midwestern States, while States in the lowest fifth were mostly in the South. (Tables A.13, Figure 5.1)
Nationally in 2002, about 3.0 percent of persons aged 12 or older were dependent on or had abused illicit drugs in the past year. The District of Columbia had the highest rate of illicit drug abuse or dependence (4.3 percent), and Kansas had the lowest rate (2.5 percent). Most of the States in the highest fifth were in the West (six States). (Tables A.15, Figure 5.9)
The percentage of persons aged 12 or older needing but not receiving treatment for alcohol problems was 7.3 percent nationally. As was the case for past month alcohol use, most of the States in the top fifth for needing but not receiving treatment for alcohol problems were Northern States. (Table A.19, Figure 5.25)
New Mexico had the highest percentage of persons aged 12 or older needing but not receiving treatment for an illicit drug use problem in 2002 (3.5 percent). The rate for the Nation as a whole was 2.7 percent. The other States in the top fifth for needing but not receiving treatment for an illicit drug use problem were mainly in the West or in the Northeast.
(Table A.18, Figure 5.21)
Serious Mental Illness among Adults
Serious mental illness (SMI) was estimated in NSDUH for persons aged 18 or older. In 2002, 8.3 percent of the population aged 18 or older was classified with SMI. The States with the highest rates of SMI were mostly in the South or in the West. Oklahoma reported the highest rate in the Nation (11.4 percent), and New Jersey reported the lowest rate (6.5 percent).
(Table A.20, Figure 6.1)
This page was last updated on June 03, 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.
