Highlights

This report presents results from the Treatment Episode Data Set (TEDS) for 2005, and trend data for 1995 to 2005. The report provides information on the demographic and substance abuse characteristics of the 1.8 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 95 percent of the 1,849,548 TEDS admissions in 2005: alcohol (39 percent), opiates (17 percent, primarily heroin), marijuana (16 percent), cocaine (14 percent), and stimulants (9 percent, primarily methamphetamine) [Table 2.1b].

Alcohol

• Alcohol as a primary substance accounted for approximately two in five (39 percent) of all TEDS admissions in 2005, down from more than half (51 percent) in 1995. However, 45 percent of primary alcohol admissions reported secondary drug abuse as well [Table 2.1b].
• Alcohol admission rates generally were highest in the New England, Pacific, and West North Central States. For the United States as a whole, the alcohol admission rate declined by 28 percent between 1995 and 2005, from 408 per 100,000 population aged 12 and over to 292 per 100,000. Rates declined in 31 of the 44 States reporting in both years and increased in 12 States [Table 2.3b and Figure 3].
• About three-quarters of admissions for abuse of alcohol alone and for abuse of alcohol with secondary drug abuse were male (75 percent and 74 percent, respectively) [Table 3.1a].
• Almost three-quarters (69 percent) of alcohol-only admissions were non-Hispanic White, followed by Hispanic (13 percent), and non-Hispanics Black (12 percent). Among admissions for alcohol with secondary drug abuse, 60 percent were non-Hispanic White, followed by 25 percent who were non-Hispanic Black and 11 percent who were Hispanic [Table 3.1a].
• For alcohol-only admissions, the average age at admission was 40 years, compared with 35 years among admissions for primary alcohol with secondary drug abuse [Table 3.2a].

Heroin

• TEDS admissions for primary heroin abuse were at 14 to 15 percent of all admissions from 1995 through 2005. Heroin represented 93 percent of all primary opiate admissions in 1995, but fell to 79 percent in 2005 [Tables 2.1a and 2.1b].
• Heroin admission rates were highest in the New England and Middle Atlantic States. For the United States as a whole, the heroin admission rate decreased by 6 percent between 1995 and 2005, from 109 per 100,000 population aged 12 and over to 102 per 100,000. Heroin admission rates increased in 25 of the 43 States reporting in both years, and declined in 16 States [Table 2.4b and Figure 4].
• About two-thirds (68 percent) of primary heroin admissions were male [Table 3.1a].
• Half (50 percent) of primary heroin admissions were non-Hispanic White, followed by 24 percent who were Hispanic, and 23 percent who were non-Hispanic Black [Table 3.1a].
• For primary heroin admissions, the average age at admission was 36 years [Table 3.2a].
• Sixty-three percent of primary heroin admissions reported injection as the route of administration and 33 percent reported inhalation [Table 3.4].

Opiates Other than Heroin

• Opiates other than heroin include methadone, codeine, hydrocodone, hydromorphone, meperidine, mor­phine, opium, oxycodone, pentazocine, pro­poxyphene, tramadol, and any other drug with morphine-like effects. TEDS admissions for primary abuse of opiates other than heroin increased from 1 percent of all admissions in 1995 to 4 percent in 2005. Opiates other than heroin represented 7 percent of all primary opiate admissions in 1995, but rose to 21 percent in 2005 [Table 2.1b].
• Admission rates for opiates other than heroin were generally highest in the New England and East South Central States. For the United States as a whole, the admission rate for opiates other than heroin increased by 271 percent between 1995 and 2005, from 7 per 100,000 population aged 12 and over to 26 per 100,000. Admission rates for opiates other than heroin increased in 42 of the 43 States reporting in both years [Table 2.5b and Figure 5].
• Just over half (54 percent) of primary non-heroin opiate admissions were male [Table 3.1a].
• Most primary non-heroin opiate admissions (89 percent) were non-Hispanic White [Table 3.1a].
• For primary non-heroin opiate admissions, the average age at admission was 33 years [Table 3.2a].
• About three-quarters (72 percent) of primary non-heroin opiate admissions reported oral as the route of administration, while 13 percent reported inhalation and 12 percent reported injection [Table 3.4].

Cocaine/Crack

• The proportion of admissions for primary cocaine abuse declined from 17 percent in 1995 to a low of 13 percent in 2001and 2002. The proportion rose slightly and has been at 14 percent since 2003. [Table 2.1b].
• Cocaine admission rates were generally highest in the Middle Atlantic and South Atlantic States. For the United States as a whole, the cocaine admission rate declined by 22 percent between 1995 and 2005, from 132 per 100,000 population aged 12 and over to 103 per 100,000. Cocaine admission rates declined in 28 of the 44 States reporting in both years, but increased in 16 States [Table 2.6b and Figure 6].
• Smoked cocaine (crack) represented 72 percent of all primary cocaine admissions in 2005, down from 75 percent in 1995 [Table 2.1a].
• Fifty-eight percent of primary smoked cocaine admissions were male, compared with 65 percent of primary non-smoked cocaine admissions [Table 3.1a].
• Among primary smoked cocaine admissions, 52 percent were non-Hispanic Black, 38 percent were non-Hispanic White, and 7 percent were Hispanic. Among primary non-smoked cocaine admissions, 52 percent were non-Hispanic White, followed by non-Hispanic Blacks (28 percent) and Hispanics (17 percent) [Table 3.1a].
• For primary smoked cocaine admissions, the average age at admission was 38 years, compared with 34 years for non-smoked cocaine admissions [Table 3.2a].
• Among primary non-smoked cocaine admissions, 81 percent reported inhalation as the route of administration and 11 percent reported injection [Table 3.4].

Marijuana/Hashish

• The proportion of admissions for primary marijuana abuse increased from 10 percent in 1995 to 16 percent in 2005 [Table 2.1b].
• Marijuana treatment admission rates were generally highest in the West North Central and Pacific States. For the United States as a whole, the marijuana admission rate increased by 46 percent between 1995 and 2005, from 81 per 100,000 population aged 12 and over to 118 per 100,000. Marijuana admission rates increased in 37 of the 44 States reporting in both years and declined in 8 States [Table 2.7b and Figure 7].
• Three-quarters (73 percent) of primary marijuana admissions were male [Table 3.1a].
• Over half (52 percent) of primary marijuana admissions were non-Hispanic White; 29 percent were non-Hispanic Black; and 13 percent were Hispanic [Table 3.1a].
• For primary marijuana admissions, the average age at admission was 24 years [Table 3.2a].

Methamphetamine/Amphetamine and Other Stimulants

• The proportion of admissions for primary abuse of methamphetamine/amphetamine and other stimulants increased from 4 percent to 9 percent between 1995 and 2005 [Table 2.1b].
• Methamphetamine/amphetamine treatment admission rates were generally highest in the Pacific and Mountain States. For the United States as a whole, the methamphetamine/amphetamine admission rate increased by 127 percent between 1995 and 2005, from 30 per 100,000 population aged 12 and over to 68 per 100,000. Methamphetamine/amphetamine admission rates increased in 43 of the 44 States reporting in both years and decreased in 1 State [Table 2.8b and Figure 8].
• Fifty-four percent of primary methamphetamine/amphetamine admissions were male [Table 3.1a].
• Almost three-quarters (71 percent) of primary methamphetamine/amphetamine admissions were non-Hispanic White and 18 percent were Hispanic [Table 3.1a].
• For primary methamphetamine/amphetamine admissions, the average age at admission was 31 years [Table 3.2a].
• Sixty-three percent of primary methamphetamine/amphetamine admissions reported smoking as the route of administration, 19 percent reported injection, and 12 percent reported inhalation [Table 3.4].

Adolescent Substance Abuse

• The number of adolescents aged 12 to 17 admitted to substance abuse treatment increased 16 percent between 1995 and 2005. However, this represented a 31 percent increase between 1995 and 2002, followed by an 11 percent decrease between 2002 and 2005 [Table 5.1a].
• The increase in adolescent substance abuse treatment admissions was largely accounted for by the net 47 percent increase in the number of adolescent primary marijuana admissions (a 59 percent increase between 1995 and 2002, followed by an 8 percent decrease between 2002 and 2005). The proportion of adolescent primary marijuana admissions grew steadily from 52 percent of adolescent admissions in 1995 to 65 percent in 2005 [Tables 5.1a and 5.1b].
• In 2005, half (50 percent) of adolescent admissions were referred to treatment through the criminal justice system. Seventeen percent were self- or individual referrals, and 11 percent were referred through schools [Table 5.3a].
• The number of marijuana-involved adolescent substance abuse treatment admissions referred through the criminal justice system increased by 26 percent between 1995 and 2005, while marijuana-involved adolescent admissions referred through other sources increased by 1 percent during that period [Table 5.5a].

Heroin Admissions and Planned Use of Medication-Assisted Opioid Therapy

• While the number of heroin admissions increased by 12 percent between 1995 and 2005, the number for whom medication-assisted opioid therapy was planned declined by 26 percent. In 1995, medication-assisted opioid therapy was planned for almost half (46 percent) of all primary admissions. By 1995, it was planned for less than a third (29 percent) [Table 5.6b].

Polydrug Abuse

• More than half (56 percent) of all TEDS 2005 admissions reported abuse of multiple substances. Alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine were the most commonly reported secondary/tertiary substances. Alcohol was reported as a substance of abuse by 61 percent of all admissions, 39 percent as a primary substance and 22 percent as a secondary/tertiary substance. Marijuana was reported as a substance of abuse by 37 percent of all admissions (16 percent as a primary substance and 21 percent as a secondary/tertiary substance). Cocaine was reported as a substance of abuse by 31 percent of all admissions (14 percent as a primary substance and 17 percent as a secondary/tertiary substance) [Table 5.8].
  

Race/Ethnicity

Among all racial/ethnic groups except Hispanics of Puerto Rican origin, alcohol (alone or in combination with other drugs) was the most frequently reported primary substance at treatment admission. However, the proportion reporting primary use of the other four most common substances varied considerably by racial/ethnic group.

• Among non-Hispanic Whites, alcohol (43 percent) was followed by opiates (17 percent), marijuana (14 percent), stimulants (11 percent), and cocaine (10 percent) [Table 3.1b].
• Among non-Hispanic Blacks, alcohol (31 percent) was followed by cocaine (28 percent), marijuana (21 percent), opiates (15 percent), and stimulants (1 percent) [Table 3.1b].
• Among persons of Mexican origin, alcohol (38 percent) was followed by stimulants (22 percent), marijuana (17 percent), opiates (13 percent), and cocaine (9 percent) [Table 3.1b].
• Among persons of Puerto Rican origin, opiates (47 percent) were followed by alcohol (26 percent), marijuana (12 percent), cocaine (11 percent), and stimulants (1 percent) [Table 3.1b].
• Among persons of Cuban origin, alcohol (34 percent) was followed by opiates (26 percent), cocaine (19 percent), marijuana (12 percent), and stimulants (4 percent) [Table 3.1b].
• Among Alaska Natives, alcohol (43 percent) was followed by opiates (25 percent), marijuana (11 percent), stimulants (10 percent), and cocaine (9 percent). [Table 3.1b].
• Among American Indians, alcohol (58 percent) was followed by marijuana (13 percent), stimulants (10 percent), opiates (6 percent), and cocaine (5 percent) [Table 3.1b].
• Among Asians/Pacific Islanders, alcohol (33 percent) was followed by stimulants (29 percent), marijuana (19 percent), opiates (10 percent), cocaine (7 percent) [Table 3.1b].

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