Drug Abuse in Texas

Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Information and Statistics Texas

Geographically, Texas is the second largest State in the Nation after Alaska. Created in 1985, the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse (TCADA) is the State\s substance abuse authority responsible for ensuring Texans have access to effective and efficient substance abuse services. TCADA provides funding for prevention, intervention, and treatment services through contracts with about 200 community organizations that serve the prevention and treatment needs of more than 750,000 Texans each year. TCADA\'s operating budget for both prevention and treatment services for fiscal year (FY) 2002 was approximately $175.7 million, with about 85 percent of that funding from the Federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) block grant. The remaining 15 percent consisted of State general revenue and some additional funding from interagency contracts and fees.

According to the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD) report for FY 1999, Texas reported a total expenditure of $210.3 million for State-supported alcohol and other drug services. Of this, $161.2 million was spent on treatment services and $28.3 million was spent on primary prevention. During 1999, 192 (27 percent) of the alcohol and/or other drug treatment units in Texas received funds administered by TCADA. The number of State-supported alcohol and other drug treatment admissions for FY 1999 in Texas was 14,601 for alcohol and 30,187 for other drugs.

 Alcohol Use

Almost 7 million adults (48.3 percent) had used alcohol in the past month, 3.5 million adults (24.4 percent) were binge drinkers, and 1.0 million (7.2 percent) were heavy alcohol users. An estimated 584,000 (4.0 percent) of the population had abused alcohol, and 319,000 (2.2 percent) met criteria for alcohol dependence. Among all sociodemographic groups, 18 to 25 year olds, males, and those who had never been married had the highest prevalence rates of binge alcohol use, heavy alcohol use, alcohol abuse, and alcohol dependence. Blacks had a significantly lower percentage of alcohol abuse than whites or Hispanics, and Hispanics had a significantly higher proportion of alcohol dependence than whites or blacks. The prevalence rate of past month alcohol use was highest (more than 60 percent) for college graduates and for those with family incomes of $75,000 or more, and lowest (29 percent) among recipients of Medicaid or the Children\'s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

 Illicit Drug Use

1.6 million adult Texans (11.1 percent) reported using illicit drugs in the past year. Marijuana and hashish were the most commonly used drugs?reported by 1.1 million people (7.3 percent)?followed by the nonmedical use of prescription drugs, which was reported by 671,000 people (4.6 percent). About 2 percent of the population reported using cocaine, and 2 percent used other types of drugs (including heroin, hallucinogens, and inhalants) in the past year. An estimated 162,000 Texans met criteria for drug dependence, and 93,000 were classified as drug abusers. The highest past year prevalence rates of specific drugs, as well as overall illicit drug use and drug dependence, were seen among those aged 18 to 25 (27.6 percent) and adults who had never been married (27.0 percent). An estimated 3.7 percent of the population in the 18 to 25 year age group and 4.1 percent of those who had never been married met the criteria for drug dependence; rates were lower among other sociodemographic groups. Compared with those having health insurance, those with no coverage had significantly higher rates of past year drug use across almost all types of drugs. Compared with non-Hispanic whites, Hispanics had significantly higher rates of drug abuse but lower rates of drug dependence.

 Alcohol or Illicit Drug Dependence or Abuse, Perceived Treatment Need, and Receipt of Substance Abuse Treatment

More than 1 million adult Texans (7.0 percent) were dependent on or abused alcohol or illicit drugs in the past year and were in need of drug rehab in Texas. Only 132,000 people(0.9 percent) received drug treatment in Texas for an alcohol or illicit drug problem in the past year, and only 40,000 (0.3 percent) who did not receive treatment perceived a need for treatment. Adults aged 18 to 25 and those who had never been married had the highest rates of alcohol or illicit drug dependence or abuse, receipt of treatment for an alcohol or drug problem, and need for but not receipt of treatment. Women, individuals who had ever been married, and those with less than a high school education were the least likely of all sociodemographic groups to receive treatment.

 Texas and the Nation as a Whole

This report provides population survey-based estimates of the prevalence and treatment of substance use and abuse among adults in the State of Texas. Relative to adults aged 18 or older in the Nation as a whole, Texans had very similar prevalence and treatment rates for alcohol and drug abuse.

This report has identified several findings that may be important for State decisionmakers. Sociodemographic groups with the highest prevalence rates of substance use and abuse in Texas may be targeted for further intervention. Programmatic resource allocation may include single persons, young adults, and those with no health insurance coverage. Indeed, given the overlap between these classifications, these characteristics may refer to the same group of high-risk individuals. Receipt of government assistance may facilitate entry into substance abuse treatment in this high-risk population. Overall, the Houston MSA had higher rates of alcohol dependence and drug abuse compared with the rest of Texas. Further investigation of county or MSA differences should control for differences in their demographic distributions.

This study of Texas drug abuse statistics was conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration\'s Office of Applied Studies.

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