Veterans 

Veterans' alcohol and drug use: Highlights

Treatment and veterans: Highlights

Veterans: All reports

All Reports on Veterans

The NSDUH Report: Serious Psychological Distress and Substance Use Disorder among Veterans

The NSDUH Report:  Alcohol Use and Alcohol Related Risk Behaviors among Veterans

The NSDUH Report:  Substance Use, Dependence, and Treatment among Veterans

The NSDUH Report:  Male Veterans with Co-Occurring Serious Mental Illness and a Substance Use Disorder

The DASIS Report:  Veterans in Substance Abuse Treatment:  1995-2000

The DASIS Report:  Characteristics of Homeless Admissions to Substance Abuse Treatment.

Utilization of Veterans Health Services for Substance Abuse:  A Study of Aging Baby Boomer Veterans

The DASIS Report: Characteristics of Substance Abuse Facilities Owned by the Department of Veterans Affairs, 2000

The NHSDA Report:  Illicit Drug Use Among Veterans (2000 and 2001)

The NHSDA Report:  Alcohol Use Among Veterans

The DASIS Report:  Veterans in Substance Abuse Treatment

Alcohol and Drug Use Among Veterans

• The NSDUH Report: Serious Psychological Distress and Substance Use Disorder among Veterans  Combined data from SAMHSA's 2004 - 2006 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health indicate than an annual average of 7% of veterans aged 18 or older experienced past year serious psychological distress, 7.1% met the criteria for a past year substance use disorder, and 1.5% had co-occurring serious psychological distress and substance use disorder.  Veterans aged 18 to 25 were more likely than older veterans to have higher rates of serious psychological distress, substance use disorder, or co-occurring psychological distress and substance use disorder in the past year.  Veterans with family incomes of less than $20,000 per year were more likely than veterans with higher family incomes to have had serious psychological distress, substance use disorder, or co-occurring psychological distress and substance use disorder in the past year. 

• The NSDUH Report: Alcohol Use and Alcohol Related Risk Behaviors among Veterans  Data from SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) were used to compare substance use, dependence and treatment among veterans and non veterans. In 2003, an estimated 56.6% of veterans used alcohol in the past month compared with 50.8% of comparable nonveterans. An estimated 13.2% of veterans reported driving while under the influence of alcohol or illicit drugs in the past year compared with 12.2% of comparable nonveterans. An estimated 18.8% of veterans reported that they smoked cigarettes daily in the past month compared with 14.3% of comparable nonveterans. See

• The NSDUH Report: Substance Use, Dependence, and Treatment among Veterans  SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that in 2003, an estimated 3.5% of veterans used marijuana in the past month compared with 3.0% of their nonveteran counterparts. Past month heavy use of alcohol was more prevalent among veterans (7.5%) than comparable nonveterans (6.5%). Estimated rates of dependence on alcohol and/or illicit drugs did not differ significantly between veterans and nonveterans. An estimated 0.8% of veterans received specialty treatment for a substance use disorder (alcohol or illicit drugs) in the past year compared with 0.5% of comparable nonveterans.

• The NSDUH Report:  Male Veterans with Co-Occurring Serious Mental Illness and a Substance Use Disorder  Among males aged 18 and older in 2002 and 2003, SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health found an estimated 8% (2 million) of veterans and 14.6% (11.1 million) nonveterans were dependent on or abusing alcohol or illicit drugs. An estimated 4.6% (1.2 million) of veterans and 7% (5.3 million) nonveterans had a serious mental illness. An estimated 340,000 male veterans had co-occurring serious mental illness (SMI) and a substance use disorder in 2002 and 2003. Although not statistically significant, within each age group of males the veterans had higher rates of these co-occurring disorders than nonveterans: aged 18 to 25 (6.4% veterans vs. 4.5% nonveterans); aged 26 to 54 (2.5% veterans vs. 2% nonveterans); and aged 55 or older (0.6% veterans vs. 0.3% nonveterans).

• The DASIS Report:  Veterans in Substance Abuse Treatment:  1995-2000  Based on SAMHSA's Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), in 2000, the number of veterans admitted to substance abuse treatment exceeded 55,000 admissions; 3,000 of these were female veterans.  Female veteran admissions were less likely than male veteran admissions to report alcohol as their primary substance and more likely to report cocaine as their primary substance of abuse. 

• The NHSDA Report:  Illicit Drug Use Among Veterans (2000 and 2001)  Almost 2 million veterans, or 6 percent of the population of veterans in the United States, reported using illicit drugs in the past year.  Within all age categories, male veterans and nonveterans had similar rates of past year illicit drug use.  Of the 256,000 veterans in need of treatment for illicit drug use in the past year, 20 percent had received treatment during the past year. 

• The NHSDA Report:  Alcohol Use Among Veterans  In 2000, younger veterans were more likely than older veterans to report past month alcohol use, heavy drinking, and binge drinking.  Among males aged 18-25, veterans were more likely than nonveterans to report past month alcohol use.  Within older age categories, male veterans and nonveterans had similar rates of alcohol use. 

Treatment

• The NSDUH Report: Substance Use, Dependence, and Treatment among Veterans  SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that in 2003, an estimated 3.5% of veterans used marijuana in the past month compared with 3.0% of their nonveteran counterparts. Past month heavy use of alcohol was more prevalent among veterans (7.5%) than comparable nonveterans (6.5%). Estimated rates of dependence on alcohol and/or illicit drugs did not differ significantly between veterans and nonveterans. An estimated 0.8% of veterans received specialty treatment for a substance use disorder (alcohol or illicit drugs) in the past year compared with 0.5% of comparable nonveterans.

• The DASIS Report:  Availability of HIV Services in Substance Abuse Treatment Facilities: 2004  SAMHSA's National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS) is an annual census of all known public and private facilities in the U.S. that provide substance abuse treatment. In 2004, of the 13,454 substance abuse treatment facilities that responded to SAMHSA's National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services, 31% provided HIV testing, 56% offered HIV education/counseling/support groups, and 12% offered special programs or groups for persons with HIV/AIDS. Among the private for-profit organizations, 20% provided offered HIV testing, 44% offered HIV education/counseling/support groups, and 10% offered special programs or groups for persons with HIV/AIDS. Among facilities offering outpatient services, those offering outpatient methadone maintenance were the most likely to offer HIV/AIDS services. Facilities operated by the Department of Veterans Affairs were most likely to offer HIV testing (94%).

• The DASIS Report:  Veterans in Substance Abuse Treatment:  1995-2000  Based on SAMHSA's 2000 Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), the number of veterans admitted to substance abuse treatment exceeded 55,000 admissions; 3,000 of these were female veterans.  Female veteran admissions were less likely than male veteran admissions to report alcohol as their primary substance and more likely to report cocaine as their primary substance of abuse.  Between 1995 and 2000, the proportion of both veteran and non veteran admissions with a psychiatric problem in addition to a substance abuse problem increased.  In all years between 1995 and 2000, female veteran admissions had higher proportions of Blacks than did male veteran admissions. 

• The DASIS Report:  Characteristics of Homeless Admissions to Substance Abuse Treatment  According to SAMHSA's Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS), more than 120,000 admissions to substance abuse treatment in 2000 were homeless at time of admission.  Admissions who were homeless were more likely to be veterans and were older (average age 38 years) than admissions who were not homeless (age 33).   Among the homeless:  whites were most likely to be admitted for alcohol (61%) and opiates (17%); Blacks for alcohol (37%), smoked cocaine (37%), and opiates (15%); Hispanics for alcohol (48%) and opiates (33%); American Indians/Alaska Natives for alcohol (80%); and Asian/Pacific Islanders for alcohol (45%), stimulants (21%), and opiates (13%). 

• Utilization of Veterans Health Services for Substance Abuse:  A Study of Aging Baby Boomer Veterans

• The DASIS Report: Characteristics of Substance Abuse Facilities Owned by the Department of Veterans Affairs, 2000.  In 2000, the typical daily number of clients enrolled in facilities owned by the Veteran Administration (VA) was about three times higher than the number enrolled in non VA facilities.  Almost 93 percent of Veteran Administration owned facilities were located in or operated by hospitals compared with 15 percent of non VA facilities.  An average of 33 percent of substance abuse treatment clients enrolled in Veteran Administration owned facilities were being treated for alcohol abuse only. 

• The DASIS Report:  Veterans in Substance Abuse Treatment  In 1999, veterans accounted for more than 65,000 admissions for substance abuse treatment.  Although primary alcohol admissions among veterans had declined since 1993, more than two-thirds of veteran admissions in 1999 were for alcohol.  The most common source of referral for veterans was the criminal justice system.