Drug Use Questionnaire*

 

The following questions concern information about your potential involvement with drugs (not including alcoholic beverages) during the past 12 months. Carefully read each statement and decide if your answer is "yes" or "no". Write your answers down on a piece of paper.

In the statements, "drug abuse" refers to (1) the use of prescribed or over the counter drugs in excess of the directions and (2) any non-medicinal use of drugs. The various classes of drugs may include: cannabis (e.g. marijuana, hash), solvents, tranquilizers (e.g. Valium), barbiturates, cocaine, stimulants (e.g. speed), hallucinogens (e.g. LSD) or narcotics (e.g. heroin). Remember that the questions do not include alcoholic beverages.

Please answer every question. If you have difficulty with a statement, then choose the response that is mostly right.

These questions refer to the past 12 months - answer either yes or no to each.

  1. Have you used drugs other than those required for medicinal reasons?
  2. Have you abused prescription drugs?
  3. Do you abuse more than one drug at a time?
  4. Can you get through the week without using drugs?
  5. Are you always able to stop using drugs when you want to?
  6. Have you had "blackouts" or "flashbacks" as a result of drug use?
  7. Do you ever feel bad or guilty about your drug use?
  8. Does your spouse (or parents) ever complain about your involvement with drugs?
  9. Has drug abuse created problems between you and your spouse or your parents?
  10. Have you lost friends because of your use of drugs?
  11. Have you neglected your family because of your use of drugs?
  12. Have you been in trouble at work because of drug abuse?
  13. Have you lost a job because of drug abuse?
  14. Have you gotten into fights when under the influence of drugs?
  15. Have you engaged in illegal activities in order to obtain drugs?
  16. Have you been arrested for possession of illegal drugs?
  17. Have you ever experienced withdrawal symptoms (felt sick) when you stopped taking drugs?
  18. Have you had medical problems as a result of your drug use (e.g. memory loss, hepatitis, convulsions, bleeding, etc.)?
  19. Have you gone to anyone for help for a drug problem?
  20. Have you been involved in a treatment program specifically related to drug use?

Scoring:

A "no" is scored 0, and a "yes" is scored 1 - except for questions 4 and 5, where the scoring is reversed. For questions 4 and 5, a "no" scores 1 and a "yes" scores 0.

Total your score. The total reflects the client's severity of problems or consequences related to drug abuse. Interpretation of the score should be based on the following guidelines:

0: no problem
1-5: low level of problems related to drug abuse
6-10: moderate level of problems related to drug abuse
11-15: Substantial level of problems related to drug abuse
16-20: Severe level of problems related to drug abuse

Interpretation of the scores is most meaningful when considered in the context of the length of time the client has been using drugs, the client's age, level of consumption, and other data collected during the assessment process.

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*Reprinted with permission of the Addiction Research Foundation. Author: Harvey A. Skinner, PH.d. For more information on the DAST, contact Dr. Skinner at the Addiction Research Foundation, 33 Russell St., Toronto, ON, M5S 2S1.