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This report presents results from the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) for 2001, and trend data for 1992-2001. The report provides information on the demographic and substance abuse characteristics of the 1.7 million annual admissions to treatment for abuse of alcohol and drugs in facilities that report to individual State administrative data systems.

TEDS is an admission-based system, and TEDS admissions do not represent individuals. Thus, for example, an individual admitted to treatment twice within a calendar year would be counted as two admissions.

TEDS does not include all admissions to substance abuse treatment. It includes facilities that are licensed or certified by the State substance abuse agency to provide substance abuse treatment (or are administratively tracked for other reasons). In general, facilities reporting TEDS data are those that receive State alcohol and/or drug agency funds (including Federal Block Grant funds) for the provision of alcohol and/or drug treatment services.

Major Substances of Abuse

• Five substances accounted for 96 percent of all TEDS admissions in 2001: alcohol (44 percent), opiates (18 percent; primarily heroin), marijuana/hashish (15 percent), cocaine (13 percent), and stimulants (6 percent; primarily methamphetamine).

Polydrug Abuse

• In 2001, use of more than one drug was reported by 54 percent of all TEDS admissions. Alcohol, marijuana/hashish, and cocaine were the most commonly reported secondary substances. Alcohol and opiates were reported more often as primary substances than as secondary substances. However, the reverse was true for marijuana/hashish and cocaine; more admissions reported these drugs as secondary substances than as primary substances.

Adolescent Substance Abuse

• Adolescent admissions for substance abuse increased from 1992 to 2001. The increase was attributable to both increased admissions involving marijuana and increased referral to treatment through the criminal justice system.

Alcohol

• Alcohol accounted for nearly half (44 percent) of all TEDS admissions in 2001, down from 59 percent in 1992. However, 45 percent of primary alcohol admissions reported secondary drug abuse as well.
   
• Alcohol admission rates generally were highest in the Pacific Northwest, North Central, and Northeast. For the United States as a whole, alcohol admission rates declined by 23 percent between 1992 and 2001, from 443 per 100,000 population aged 12 and over to 342 per 100,000. This rate of decline was equaled or exceeded in 25 States.

Heroin and Other Opiates

• TEDS admissions for primary opiate abuse increased from 12 percent of all admissions in 1992 to 18 percent in 2001, exceeding the proportion of admissions for primary cocaine abuse for the fifth consecutive year. In 2001, heroin accounted for 88 percent of primary opiate admissions.
   
• Opiates other than heroin accounted for 2 percent of all TEDS admissions in 2001. However, the number of admissions for these drugs increased 168 percent between 1992 and 2001. Other opiates include non-prescription use of methadone, codeine, morphine, oxycodone, hydromorphone, meperidine, opium, and other drugs with morphine-like effects.
   
• Heroin admission rates were highest in the Pacific, Northeast, and some Middle Atlantic States. The overall rate for the United States increased by 52 percent over the period 1992-2001. Heroin admission rates increased by 100 percent or more in 18 States during this time.
   
• Nearly half (47 percent) of primary heroin admissions were White, followed by 26 percent of Hispanic origin and 24 percent Black.
   
• Admissions for heroin inhalation and smoking increased between 1992 and 2001.

Cocaine/Crack

• The proportion of admissions for primary cocaine abuse declined from 18 percent in 1992 to 13 percent in 2001.
   
• Cocaine admission rates were generally highest in the Northeast, Middle Atlantic, and some Southern States. Trends indicated stable or declining admission rates for primary cocaine abuse. Cocaine admission rates decreased from 1992 to 2001 by 25 percent or more in 17 States.
   
• Smoked cocaine (crack) represented 73 percent of all primary cocaine admissions in 2001, a proportion that remained fairly stable from 1993 to 2001.

Marijuana

• The proportion of admissions for primary marijuana abuse increased from 6 percent in 1992 to 15 percent in 2001.
   
• Marijuana treatment admission rates showed substantial increases across a large number of States. The U.S. admission rate for primary marijuana abuse increased from 45 per 100,000 population aged 12 and over in 1992 to 113 per 100,000 in 2001. In 29 States, 2001 rates were at least 100 percent higher than 1992 rates.
   
• More than half (57 percent) of primary marijuana admissions were referred to treatment through the criminal justice system.
   
• Marijuana admissions were generally male (76 percent), White (56 percent), and young (46 percent were under 20 years of age).
   
• Marijuana use began at an early age among primary marijuana admissions—26 percent had first used marijuana by the age of 12, and 56 percent by the age of 14.

Methamphetamine/Amphetamine and Other Stimulants

• The proportion of admissions for abuse of methamphetamine/amphetamine and other stimulants increased from 2 percent to 6 percent between 1992 and 2001.
   
• Since 1992, methamphetamine/amphetamine admission rates increased by 100 percent or more in 33 States, spreading east from the Pacific States into the Midwest and South.
   
• Methamphetamine/amphetamine admissions were predominantly White (77 percent), followed by persons of Mexican origin (9 percent). Females made up 46 percent of methamphetamine/amphetamine admissions.
   
• The main routes of administration for methamphetamines/amphetamines were smoking (45 percent), injection (26 percent), and inhalation (19 percent).

Discharge Data

• Of the Year 2001 discharges, 39 percent completed treatment and 11 percent transferred to another treatment program. One in four (24 percent) left against professional advice, while the treatment of an additional 19 percent was terminated by the facility.
   
• Admissions for different primary substances were likely to be admitted to different types of service. Discharges reflected this variation, and there were different treatment completion rates for the different service types.
   
• The median length of stay for persons completing treatment ranged from 5 days for detoxification to 92 days for outpatient treatment.

Detoxification

• Admissions to detoxification were usually for primary alcohol (49 percent) or opiates (33 percent).
   
• Detoxification admissions were more likely to be male (75 percent vs. 70 percent of all admissions), Hispanic (17 percent vs. 12 percent of all admissions), and older (average age 38 vs. average age 34 for all admissions).
   
• Admissions to detoxification were more likely to be self-referred (63 percent) than were all admissions (36 percent) and less likely to enter treatment through the criminal justice system (10 percent vs. 35 percent).
   
• Daily use was reported by 82 percent of detoxification admissions, compared with 46 percent of all admissions.
   
• One-third of detoxification admissions (33 percent) were entering treatment for the first time, compared with 44 percent of all admissions, and 26 percent had been in treatment 5 or more times previously, compared with 12 percent of all admissions.