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The Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) collects data on admissions to substance abuse treatment facilities, primarily those that receive some public funding, and reports them on an annual basis. Between 1993 and 2003, the number of admissions reported increased from 1.62 million to 1.84 million admissions, an increase of almost 14 percent. This report presents trend data on the demographic and substance abuse characteristics of admissions reported to TEDS for 1993 through 2003.
Primary Substance of Abuse
There were increases in the proportion of admissions reporting marijuana (7 percent in 1993 vs. 16 percent in 2003), opiates (13 percent in 1993 vs. 18 percent in 2003), and stimulants (2 percent in 1993 vs. 7 percent in 2003) as their primary substance of abuse1 (Figure 1).
The percentage of admissions reporting primary alcohol abuse decreased from 57 percent in 1993 to 41 percent in 2003. The decrease was larger for admissions that reported alcohol as the only substance of abuse (35 percent in 1993 vs. 22 percent in 2003) than for those that reported alcohol plus a secondary substance of abuse2 (22 percent in 1993 vs. 19 percent in 2003).
Admissions for primary cocaine abuse also decreased, from 17 percent of admissions in 1993 to 14 percent in 2003. The decrease was similar for both smoked cocaine (12 percent in 1993 vs. 10 percent in 2003) and non-smoked cocaine (5 percent in 1993 vs. 4 percent in 2003).
| Figure 1. All Admissions, by Primary Substance of Abuse: 1993 and 2003 |
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| Figure 1 Table. Percent of All Admissions, by Primary Substance of Abuse: 1993 and 2003 |
|
Substance |
1993 |
2003 |
| Alcohol |
57% |
41% |
| Cocaine |
17% |
14% |
| Opiates |
13% |
18% |
| Marijuana |
7% |
16% |
| Stimulants |
2% |
7% |
| Other |
4% |
4% |
|
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| Source: 2003 SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS). |
Age at Admission
In 1993, the largest proportion of admissions was in the 25- to 34-year-old age group (40 percent) (Figure 2). By 2003, that age group accounted for only 25 percent of admissions. In the same time period, the proportion of admissions increased for all other age groups, with the largest increase among admissions aged 45 or older (12 percent in 1993 vs. 19 percent in 2003). The average age of admissions also increased slightly, from 33 in 1993 to 34 in 2003.
Marijuana was the only primary substance for which the proportion of admissions younger than 18 increased between 1993 and 2003. For all other primary substances, the proportion of admissions younger than 18 either decreased or was unchanged.
| Figure 2. All Admissions, by Age at Admission: 1993 and 2003 |
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| Figure 2 Table. Percent of All Admissions, by Age at Admission: 1993 and 2003 |
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Age at Admission |
1993 |
2003 |
| <18 |
6% |
9% |
| 18-24 |
14% |
17% |
| 25-34 |
40% |
25% |
| 35-44 |
28% |
30% |
| 45+ |
12% |
19% |
|
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| Source: 2003 SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS). |
Sex
Between 1993 and 2003 there was an increase in the proportion of female admissions (28 percent in 1993 vs. 31 percent in 2003) and a corresponding decrease in the proportion of male admissions (72 percent in 1993 vs. 69 percent in 2003).
Race/Ethnicity
Overall, Black admissions decreased from 27 percent of admissions in 1993 to 24 percent of admissions in 2003, Hispanic admissions rose slightly from 11 to 13 percent, and all other racial/ethnic groups changed by less than two percentage points (Figure 3).
However, the overall trend in the relative proportions of racial/ethnic groups did not hold true among admissions for primary marijuana abuse and for primary cocaine abuse. Among primary marijuana admissions, there was an increase in the proportion of Black admissions (22 percent in 1993 vs. 29 percent in 2003) and a decrease in the proportion of White admissions (65 percent in 1993 vs. 55 percent in 2003). Among admissions for primary cocaine, the percentage of White admissions increased from 31 percent in 1993 to 39 percent in 2003, while the proportion of Black admissions decreased from 60 to 49 percent during that time period.
| Figure 3. All Admissions, by Race/Ethnicity: 1993 and 2003 |
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| Figure 3 Table. Percent of All Admissions, by Race/Ethnicity: 1993 and 2003 |
|
Race/Ethnicity |
1993 |
2003 |
| White |
58% |
58% |
| Black |
27% |
24% |
| Hispanic |
11% |
13% |
| Native American/American Indian |
2% |
2% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander |
1% |
1% |
| Other |
1% |
2% |
|
|
| Source: 2003 SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS). |
Referral Source
Criminal justice system referrals increased from 33 to 36 percent of admissions between 1993 and 2003 (Figure 4). Among all other referral sources, there were no changes of more than 2 percentage points between 1993 and 2003. The largest change in the proportion of criminal justice admissions between 1993 and 2003 was among admissions younger than 18 (38 percent in 1993 vs. 52 percent in 2003). There were smaller increases in the proportion of criminal justice admissions among admissions aged 18 to 24, 25 to 34, and 35 to 44; the proportion of criminal justice admissions aged 45 or older decreased slightly.
| Figure 4. All Admissions, by Referral Source: 1993 and 2003 |
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| Figure 4 Table. Percent of All Admissions, by Referral Source: 1993 and 2003 |
|
Referral Source |
1993 |
2003 |
| Self/Individual |
35% |
34% |
| Criminal Justice System |
33% |
36% |
| Alcohol/Drug Abuse Care Provider |
13% |
11% |
| Other Health Care Provider |
7% |
7% |
| School |
2% |
1% |
| Employer/EAP |
2% |
1% |
| Other Community |
8% |
10% |
|
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| Source: 2003 SAMHSA Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS). |
End Notes
1 The primary substance of abuse is the main substance reported at the time of admission.
2 Secondary substances are other substances of abuse also reported at the time of admission.
The Drug and Alcohol Services Information System (DASIS) is an integrated data system maintained by the Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). One component of DASIS is the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS). TEDS is a compilation of data on the demographic characteristics and substance abuse problems of those admitted for substance abuse treatment. The information comes primarily from facilities that receive some public funding. Information on treatment admissions is routinely collected by State administrative systems and then submitted to SAMHSA in a standard format. TEDS records represent admissions rather than individuals, as a person may be admitted to treatment more than once. State admission data are reported to TEDS by the Single State Agencies (SSAs) for substance abuse treatment. There are significant differences among State data collection systems. Sources of State variation include completeness of reporting, facilities reporting TEDS data, clients included, and treatment resources available. See the annual TEDS reports for details. Approximately 1.8 million records are included in TEDS each year.
The DASIS Report is prepared by the Office of Applied Studies, SAMHSA; Synectics for Management Decisions, Inc., Arlington, Virginia; and by RTI International in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina (RTI International is a trade name of Research Triangle Institute).
Information and data for this issue are based on data reported to TEDS through April 11, 2005.
Access the latest TEDS reports at:
http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/dasis.htm
Access the latest TEDS public use files at:
http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/SAMHDA.htm
Other substance abuse reports are available at:
http://www.oas.samhsa.gov
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| The DASIS Report is published periodically by the Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse
and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission from SAMHSA. Additional copies of this report or other reports from the Office of Applied Studies are available on-line: http://www.oas.samhsa.gov. Citation of the source is appreciated. For questions about this report please e-mail: shortreports@samhsa.hhs.gov
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This page was last updated on December 30, 2008.
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