New DASIS Report: First-Time and Repeat Admissions to Substance Abuse Treatment

Each week, the Higher Education Center showcases recent developments in the field of AOD abuse and violence prevention in higher education that may include new data and resources, upcoming events and programs, funding opportunities, and learning opportunities. To see a listing of previous This Week! features, visit the This Week! archive.

September 26, 2008

In 2006, nearly one-quarter (22 percent) of all individuals admitted to substance abuse treatment were aged 18 to 25, according to a new report from the Drug and Alcohol Service Information System (DASIS). Relapse to substance use after a period of abstinence is a common pattern among substance abusers. Many are admitted to substance abuse treatment multiple times before they achieve long-term abstinence. Individuals who are re-admitted to treatment (i.e., repeat admissions) often exhibit different substance use and socioeconomic characteristics than individuals admitted to treatment for the first time.

Key findings include the following:

In 2006, repeat admissions of individuals aged 18 to 25 were more likely than first-time admissions of individuals aged 18 to 25 to report heroin and other opiates as the primary substance of abuse (27 vs. 12 percent) and to report the use of multiple substances (67 vs. 56 percent).
The South was unlike any other region in that a majority of all admissions of individuals aged 18 to 25 were first-time admissions instead of repeat admissions, regardless of the primary substance of abuse.
The criminal justice system was the principal referral source to substance abuse treatment for both 18- to 25-year-old repeat admissions (46 percent) and first-time admissions (52 percent).

For more information, read the full report or order online (inventory number: DASISRPT08-0814).