Drinking, Misuse of Drugs and Alcohol and Drug Problem Screening Test

CAGE Questionnaire, A Screening Test for Alcohol Dependence:
This simple 4-question self-test may provide better understanding of alcohol use or abuse behavioral patterns.

1. Have you ever felt you should cut down on your drinking?
   Yes     No

2. Have people annoyed you by criticizing your drinking?
   Yes     No

3. Have you ever felt bad or guilty about your drinking?
   Yes     No

4. Have you ever had a drink first thing in the morning to steady your nerves or get rid of a hangover (eye-opener)?
   Yes     No

Scoring:
Each score is given values of "0" for "no" or "1" for "yes". Two or more "Yes" responses or a total score of "2+" indicates a clinically significant findings requiring further assessment.

DAST Questionnaire- A Screening Test for Drug Abuse and Dependence:
This questionnaire provides a better understanding of the common indications of drug abuse and addiction. Suggested direction is provided pursuant to scoring results. "Drug" means any of the following: Prescription drugs (such as painkillers, sleeping pills, or medications prescribed for treatment of attention deficit disorder) Illegal drugs (such as heroin, cocaine, Ecstasy, PCP, or marijuana); Alcohol (such as beer, wine, malt liquor, "hard" alcohol, or cocktails).
1. Have you used drugs other than those needed for medical reasons?
   Yes     No

2. Have you misused prescription drugs?
   Yes     No

3. Do you misuse more than one drug at a time?
   Yes     No

4. Can you get through the week without using drugs (other than those needed for medical reasons)?
   Yes     No

5. Are you always able to stop using drugs?
   Yes     No

6. Do you misuse drugs on a continuous basis?
   Yes     No

7. Do you try to limit your use of drugs to certain situations?
   Yes     No

8. Have you had "blackouts" or "flashbacks" as a result of drug use?
   Yes     No

9. Do you ever feel bad about your drug misuse?
   Yes     No

10. Does your spouse (or parents) ever complain about your involvement with drugs?
   Yes     No

11. Do your friends or relatives know or suspect that you misuse drugs?
   Yes     No

12. Has misuse of drugs ever created problems between you and your spouse (or parents)?
   Yes     No

13. Has any family member ever sought help for problems related to your use of drugs?
   Yes     No

Have you ever: 14. Lost friends because of your use of drugs?
   Yes     No

15. Neglected your family or missed work because of your use of drugs?
   Yes     No

16. Been in trouble at work because of drug misuse?
   Yes     No

17. Lost a job because of drug misuse?
   Yes     No

18. Gotten into fights when under the influence of drugs?
   Yes     No

19. Been arrested because of unusual behavior while under the influence of drugs?
   Yes     No

20. Been caught driving while under the influence of drugs?
   Yes     No

21. Engaged in illegal activities to obtain drugs?
   Yes     No

22. Been arrested for possession of illegal drugs?
   Yes     No

23. Experienced withdrawal symptoms as a result of heavy drug intake?
   Yes     No

24. Had medical problems as a result of your drug use (eg, memory loss, hepatitis, convulsions, or bleeding)?
   Yes     No

25. Gone to anyone for help for a problem with drugs?
   Yes     No

26. Been in a hospital for medical problems related to your use of drugs?
   Yes     No

27. Been involved in a treatment program specifically related to drug use?
   Yes     No

28. Been treated as an outpatient for problems related to drug dependence or misuse?
   Yes     No

Skinner HA. The Drug Abuse Screening Test. Addictive Behavior. 1982;7:363-371. Reprinted with permission from Elsevier, Ltd.

Scoring:
Regardless of a person's score, the dependence identifier cannot diagnose dependence, nor is it "proof" of a substance-use problem. The identifier is meant only for use in helping to identify situations where an individual may benefit from further evaluation for substance misuse problems.

An answer of "no" to questions 4, 5, or 7 is equal to 1 point.
For all other questions, each "yes" answer is equal to 1 point.

A score of 6 or more is considered reasonable basis for further assessment for a possible substance misuse problem.

If you have questions regarding Drinking, Misuse of Drugs and Alcohol please click here.