N ational S urvey on D rug Use and H ealth

The NSDUH Report July 29, 2005

Youths’ Exposure to Substance

Use Prevention Messages: 2003

T
he National Survey on Drug Use and
In Brief Health (NSDUH) asks youths aged 12
to 17 whether they have talked with
● In 2003, 14.6 million youths at least one of their parents1,2 during the past
aged 12 to 17 (58.9 percent) year about the dangers of tobacco, alcohol,
reported having talked with at or drug use. Youths are also asked whether
least one of their parents during they have seen or heard any alcohol or drug
the past year about the dangers prevention messages from sources such as
of tobacco, alcohol, or drug use posters, pamphlets, radio, or TV in the past
12 months.
● Youths who had talked with a
In addition, youths are asked whether or
parent about the dangers of not they have had (a) a special class about drugs
tobacco, alcohol, or drug use or alcohol in school; (b) films, lectures, dis-
in the past year were less cussions, or printed information about drugs
likely to report past month or alcohol in one of their regular school classes;
alcohol use, binge alcohol (c) films, lectures, discussions, or printed infor-
use, or illicit drug use than mation about drugs or alcohol outside of
youths who had not talked regular school classes such as a special assembly. 3
with a parent Youths also reported participation in any
of the following in the past 12 months: (a) a
● In 2003, 83.6 percent of youths
problem-solving, communication skills, or
(20.8 million) reported having self-esteem group; (b) a violence prevention
seen or heard an alcohol or program; (c) an alcohol, tobacco, or drug
drug prevention message from prevention program outside of school; or
sources such as posters, (d) a program or meeting to help deal with
pamphlets, radio, or TV in the drug or alcohol use such as Alcoholics
past 12 months Anonymous, Alateen, or individual or group
counseling.
The NSDUH Report (formerly The NHSDA Report) is published periodically by the Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration (SAMHSA). All material appearing in this report is in the public domain and may be reproduced or copied without permission
from SAMHSA. Additional copies of this report or other reports from the Office of Applied Studies are available online: http://www.oas.samhsa.gov
Citation of the source is appreciated. For questions about this report, please e-mail: shortreports@samhsa.hhs.gov
NSDUH REPORT: YOUTHS’ EXPOSURE TO SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION MESSAGES: 2003 July 29, 2005

Figure 1. Percentages of Youths Who Reported Figure 2. Percentages of Youths Who Reported Past
Receiving Substance Use Prevention Messages, Month Alcohol Use by Exposure to Substance Use
2003 Prevention Messages from Four Sources, 2003

Yes
Lecture, Film Outside 40.0 Talked with a 16.8 No
Regular Class*
Parent about
In School

Lecture, Film in Substance Use 19.2

67.9
Regular Class*

Special Class on Received Prevention 17.7

48.1
Alcohol or Drugs* Messages through
Media Sources 17.1
Alcoholics Anonymous,
6.0
Alateen, etc.
Alcohol, Tobacco 17.3
Received Prevention
Outside of School

or Drug Prevention 13.9 Messages In School*

Program 22.0

Violence Prevention 17.2

Group 15.2
Received Prevention
Problem-Solving, Messages
Communication Skills, 25.0 Outside of School 19.5
or Self-Esteem Group
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25%

more Asian youths (89.1 percent)

Conversations with Exposure to Alcohol
Parents about the or Drug Prevention
Dangers of Tobacco, Messages through
Alcohol, and Drug Use Media Sources
In 2003, 14.6 million youths aged In 2003, 83.6 percent of youths
12 to 17 (58.9 percent) reported (20.8 million) reported having
having talked with at least one seen or heard an alcohol or drug
parent1 during the past year about prevention message from sources
the dangers of tobacco, alcohol, such as posters, pamphlets, radio,
or drug use. Females (61.3 percent) or TV in the past 12 months.
were more likely to talk with a Females (85.8 percent) were more
parent about the dangers of likely than males (81.4 percent) to
substance use than males (56.5 report having received prevention
percent). Youths aged 12 to 13 and messages through media sources.
14 to 15 were more likely (60.6 Youths aged 12 to 13 (80.2 percent)
and 59.4 percent, respectively) to were less likely than youths aged
report having talked with a parent 14 to 15 (84.2 percent) or 16 to 17
than those aged 16 or 17 (56.6 (86.3 percent) to report that they
percent). The percentages of youths had heard or seen prevention
who reported talking with a parent messages through media sources
about substance use varied in the past 12 months. White
somewhat by racial/ethnic group. youths (84.6 percent) were more
White youths (61.4 percent) were likely than black (80.5 percent),
more likely to report talking to a Hispanic (81.8 percent), or
parent than black (51.2 percent), American Indian or Alaska Native
Hispanic (58.1 percent), or Asian youths (77.3 percent) to have
youths (51.7 percent). received prevention messages
through media sources. However,
reported hearing or seeing
prevention messages through
media sources than youths in any
other racial/ethnic group.
Exposure to Other
Alcohol or Drug
Prevention Messages
Youths also reported receiving
alcohol or drug use prevention
messages in other places, including
in school and outside of school.
The most common setting for
receiving in-school alcohol or drug
use prevention messages was lec-
tures or films in a regular class
setting (67.9 percent of youths
attending school in 2003) (Figure 1).3
Outside of school, participation in
alcohol or drug use prevention
groups was much less common,
with 25.0 percent of youths
participating in a problem-solving,
communication skills, or self-esteem
group, the most frequently reported
type of out-of-school prevention
program.
July 29, 2005 NSDUH REPORT: YOUTHS’ EXPOSURETO SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION MESSAGES: 2003

Figure 3. Percentages of Youths Who Reported Past Figure 4. Percentages of Youths Who Reported Past
Month Binge Alcohol Use by Exposure to Substance Month Illicit Drug Use by Exposure to Substance Use
Use Prevention Messages from Four Sources, 2003 Prevention Messages from Four Sources, 2003

Yes Yes
Talked with a 10.0 No Talked with a 10.0 No
Parent about Parent about
Substance Use 11.6 Substance Use 13.0

Received Prevention 10.3 Received Prevention 10.8

Messages through Messages through
Media Sources 12.5 Media Sources 13.7

10.1 10.4
Received Prevention Received Prevention
Messages In School* Messages In School*
14.0 14.8

Received Prevention 9.1 Received Prevention 10.6

Messages Messages
Outside of School 11.7 Outside of School 11.7

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 0% 5% 10% 15% 20%

exposure to substance use prevention messages

Association between
Substance Use and
Exposure to
Prevention Messages4
Youths who reported talking to at
least one parent about the dangers
of tobacco, alcohol, or drug use
in the past year were significantly
less likely to report past month
alcohol use (16.8 vs. 19.2
percent), binge alcohol use (10.0
vs. 11.6 percent), or illicit drug use
(10.0 vs. 13.0 percent) than
youths who did not report talking
to a parent (Figures 2, 3, and 4).5
Youths who reported having seen
or heard media prevention
messages in the past year were
significantly less likely to report
past month binge alcohol use
(10.3 vs. 12.5 percent) or illicit
drug use (10.8 vs. 13.7 percent).
Prevention messages received in
school as well as outside of school
also were associated with
differences in rates of substance
use among youths.
End Notes
1. Parents were defined as biological parents,
adoptive parents, stepparents, or adult guardians
whether or not they lived with the child.
2. Responses to the question do not indicate
whether the conversation was initiated by the
parent or the youth, the duration of the conversa-
tion, or the specific content discussed.
3. These questions are only asked of youths aged
12 to 17 who reported attending any type of
school or home-school in the past 12 months.
4. It should not be inferred that the associations
discussed here reflect causal relationships, but
only that correlations exist. Statistical controls
for other factors that may explain or influence
the associations were not implemented. Because
of the cross-sectional nature of the NSDUH
data, the direction of the relationship between
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health
(NSDUH) is an annual survey sponsored by the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
Administration (SAMHSA). Prior to 2002, this
survey was called the National Household Survey
on Drug Abuse (NHSDA). The 2003 data are
based on information obtained from 67,784
persons aged 12 or older, including 22,665
youths aged 12 to 17. The survey collects data
by administering questionnaires to a representative
sample of the population through face-to-face
interviews at their place of residence.
The NSDUH Report is prepared by the Office of
Applied Studies (OAS), SAMHSA, and by RTI
International in Research Triangle Park, North
Carolina. (RTI International is a trade name of
Research Triangle Institute.)
Information and data for this issue are based on
the following publication and statistics:
and use of substances cannot be determined.
5. NSDUH defines binge alcohol use as drinking
five or more drinks on the same occasion (i.e.,
at the same time or within a couple of hours of
each other) on at least 1 day in the past 30
days. NSDUH defines illicit drug use as
including marijuana/hashish, cocaine (including
crack), inhalants, hallucinogens, heroin, or
prescription-type drugs used nonmedically.
Figure Notes
* Estimates based on youths aged 12 to 17 who
reported attending any type of school or home-
school in the past 12 months.
Source: SAMHSA, 2003 NSDUH.
Office of Applied Studies. (2004). Results from
the 2003 National Survey on Drug Use and
Health: National findings (DHHS Publication No.
SMA 04-3964, NSDUH Series H-25). Rockville,
MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration.
Also available online:
http://www.oas.samhsa.gov/nsduh.htm
Because of improvements and modifications to
the 2002 NSDUH, estimates from the 2002 and
2003 surveys should not be compared with
estimates from the 2001 or earlier versions of
the survey to examine changes over time.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration
Office of Applied Studies
www.samhsa.gov