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Veterans
 All
Reports on Veterans
Alcohol and
Drug
Use Among Veterans: Highlights
Treatment
and Veterans: Highlights
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All Reports
on Veterans
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Alcohol and
Drug Use Among Veterans
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 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 DASIS Report: Veterans in Substance Abuse Treatment:
1995-2000.
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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. See
The NHSDA Report: Illicit
Drug Use Among Veterans (2000 and 2001).
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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. See The NHSDA Report:
Alcohol Use Among Veterans.
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Treatment
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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. See
The DASIS Report: Veterans in Substance Abuse Treatment:
1995-2000.
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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%).
See
The
DASIS Report: Characteristics of
Homeless Admissions to Substance Abuse Treatment.
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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.
See
The DASIS Report: Characteristics
of Substance Abuse Facilities Owned by the Department of Veterans Affairs, 2000.
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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. See
The DASIS Report: Veterans in Substance
Abuse Treatment .
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