October 17, 2003

Substance Use in the 10 Largest

Metropolitan Statistical Areas

T
he National Household Survey on
In Brief Drug Abuse (NHSDA), predecessor
to the National Survey on Drug Use
! Among the 10 largest and Health (NSDUH), asks persons aged 12
metropolitan statistical areas or older to report on illicit drug use, binge
(MSAs) in the United States, the alcohol use, and cigarette use in the month
rate of past month illicit drug use prior to the survey interview. Illicit drugs
was higher than the national refer to marijuana/hashish, cocaine
average in the Boston, Detroit, (including crack), inhalants, hallucinogens,
and Chicago MSAs during the heroin, or prescription-type drugs used
combined years of 1999 to nonmedically. Binge alcohol use is defined
as drinking five or more drinks on the same
2001
occasion (i.e., at the same time or within a
! Among the 10 largest MSAs, couple of hours of each other) on at least 1
the Boston, Chicago, and day in the past 30 days.1
Philadelphia MSAs had higher This report presents comparisons of the
prevalence of illicit drug use, binge alcohol
rates of binge drinking than the
use, and cigarette use among the 10 largest
national average metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) using
! Among the 10 largest MSAs, the most recent definitions issued by the
only the Detroit MSA had a rate Office of Management and Budget.2,3 All
estimates of substance use in this report are
of past month cigarette use that
annual averages based on combined data
was higher than the national
from the 1999, 2000, and 2001 NHSDAs.
average

The NHSDA Report (predecessor to The NSDUH 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 on-line: http://
www.DrugAbuseStatistics.samhsa.gov. Citation of the source is appreciated.
NHSDA REPORT: SUBSTANCE USE IN THE 10 LARGEST METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS
Figure 1. Percentages of Persons Aged 12 or Older
Reporting Past Month Use of Any Illicit Drug,* by
MSA: Annual Averages Based on 1999-2001
NHSDAs
0% 3% 6%
Total U.S.
New York
Los Angeles 5.5
Chicago
Philadelphia
Dallas-Fort Worth 5.0
Miami 5.3
Washington, DC 4.6
Houston 5.2
Detroit
Boston
The 10 Largest MSAs
The 10 largest MSAs in the
United States based on 2000
population totals are presented in
Table 1.4 More than one fourth
(26 percent) of the total U.S.
population of 281 million lived in
the 10 largest MSAs in 2000.
Illicit Drug Use
In the Nation as a whole, an
annual average of 6.5 percent of
persons aged 12 or older reported
past month illicit drug use during
the combined years of 1999 to
2001 (Figure 1). Among the 10
largest MSAs, the Boston,
Detroit, and Chicago MSAs had
rates of past month illicit drug use
that were higher than the rate for
the Nation as a whole. This rate
was especially high in the Boston
MSA (12 percent), where 29
percent of young adults aged 18
to 25 reported past month illicit
October 17, 2003
Figure 2. Percentages of Persons Aged 12 or Older
Reporting Past Month Binge Alcohol Use,** by
MSA: Annual Averages Based on 1999-2001
NHSDAs
9% 12% 15% 0% 10% 20% 30%
6.5 Total U.S. 20.5
5.8 New York 18.8
Los Angeles 18.4
7.6 Chicago 24.1
7.5 Philadelphia 23.8
Dallas-Fort Worth 20.6
Miami 16.8
Washington, DC 15.6
Houston 22.3
7.7 Detroit 21.2
11.7 Boston 26.0
drug use (data not shown). The
rates of past month illicit drug use Cigarette Use
were lower than the national In the Nation as a whole, an
average in the New York, annual average of 25 percent of
Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, persons aged 12 or older reported
Miami, and Washington, DC, past month cigarette use during
MSAs. the combined years of 1999 to
2001 (Figure 3). Among the 10
Binge Alcohol Use largest MSAs, only Detroit (28
percent) had a rate of past month
In the Nation as a whole, an cigarette use that was higher than
annual average of 21 percent of the national average. The New
persons aged 12 or older reported York, Los Angeles, Miami, and
past month binge alcohol use Washington, DC, MSAs all had
during the combined years of lower rates of past month
1999 to 2001 (Figure 2). Among cigarette use than the Nation as a
the 10 largest MSAs, the Boston, whole.
Chicago, and Philadelphia MSAs
all had higher rates than the End Notes
Nation as a whole. The rates of
1. A “drink” is defined as a can or bottle of beer,
binge drinking were lower than a glass of wine or a wine cooler, a shot of
the national average in the New liquor, or a mixed drink containing liquor.
York, Los Angeles, Miami, and 2. An MSA is a city or urbanized area with 50,000
or more inhabitants, together with surrounding
Washington, DC, MSAs.
October 17, 2003 NHSDA REPORT: SUBSTANCE USE IN THE 10 LARGEST METROPOLITAN STATISTICAL AREAS

Table 1. 2000 Population (in Millions) and NHSDA

Figure 3. Percentages of Persons Aged 12 or Older
Sample Sizes (Combined 1999-2001) of the 10
Reporting Past Month Cigarette Use, by MSA: Annual
Largest Metropolitan Statistical Areas in the United
Averages Based on 1999-2001 NHSDAs
States

0% 10% 20% 30%

NHSDA Sample
25.2 Population Size, Ages 12 or
Total U.S.
Metropolitan (in Millions), Older (Combined
New York 21.4 Statistical Area All Ages 1999-2001)

Los Angeles 19.4 New York-Newark-Edison,

NY-NJ-PA 18.3 8,492
Chicago 26.6 Los Angeles-Long Beach-
Santa Ana, CA 12.4 4,924
Philadelphia 25.0
Chicago-Naperville-Joliet,
Dallas-Fort Worth 22.4 IL-IN-WI 9.1 6,912
Philadelphia-Camden-
Miami 19.4 Wilmington, PA-NJ-DE-MD 5.7 3,969
Washington, DC 17.1 Dallas-Fort Worth-
Arlington, TX 5.2 2,872
Houston 24.6 Miami-Fort Lauderdale-
Miami Beach, FL 5.0 3,298
Detroit 28.0
Washington-Arlington-
Boston 23.6 Alexandria, DC-VA-MD-WV 4.8 4,594
Houston-Baytown-
Sugar Land, TX 4.7 2,699
Detroit-Warren-Livonia, MI 4.5 4,496
Boston-Cambridge-
communities that have a high degree of economic and social integration with
Quincy, MA-NH 4.4 2,370
that city or urbanized area. U.S. Bureau of the Census. (2003, June 12).
About metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas. Retrieved July 30, Total United States 281.4 207,399
2003, from http://www.census.gov/population/www/estimates/
aboutmetro.html
3. Office of Management and Budget. (2003, June 6). OMB Bulletin No. 03-04:
Revised definitions of metropolitan statistical areas, new definitions of
micropolitan statistical areas and combined statistical areas, and guidance The National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) is an annual
on uses of the statistical definitions of these areas. Retrieved July 30, survey sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services
2003, from http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/bulletins/b03-04.html Administration (SAMHSA). In 2002, this survey was changed to the National
Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH). The 1999, 2000, and 2001 data
4. Populations for these MSAs were computed by summing the 2000 are based on information obtained from more than 207,000 persons aged
populations of the counties that comprise these MSAs. The components of 12 or older (about 70,000 each year). The survey collects data by
these MSAs and the 2000 populations from the counties that comprise administering questionnaires to a representative sample of the population
these MSAs were retrieved from the following: through face-to-face interviews at their place of residence.
U.S. Bureau of the Census. (2003, July 10). Metropolitan statistical areas The NHSDA Report is prepared by the Office of Applied Studies (OAS),
and components, 2003, with codes. Retrieved on July 29, 2003, from http:// SAMHSA, and by RTI in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Information
www.census.gov//population/estimates/metro-city/03msa.txt and data for this issue are based on the following publication and
U.S. Bureau of the Census. (2003, April 4). Population estimates by county: statistics:
County population estimates: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2002. Retrieved on Office of Applied Studies. (2000). Summary of findings from the 1999
July 29, 2003, from http://eire.census.gov/popest/data/counties/tables/CO- National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (DHHS Publication No. SMA 00-
EST2002/CO-EST2002-01.php 3466, NHSDA Series H-12). Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration.

Table and Figure Notes
* Illicit drugs refer to marijuana/hashish, cocaine (including crack), inhalants,
hallucinogens, heroin, or prescription-type drugs used nonmedically.
** Binge drinking is 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.
Sources (Table 1): U.S. Bureau of the Census, 2000; SAMHSA 1999, 2000,
and 2001 NHSDAs.
Office of Applied Studies. (2001). Summary of findings from the 2000
National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (DHHS Publication No. SMA 01-
3549, NHSDA Series H-13). Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration.
Office of Applied Studies. (2002). Results from the 2001 National Household
Survey on Drug Abuse: Volume I. Summary of national findings (DHHS
Publication No. SMA 02-3758, NHSDA Series H-17). Rockville, MD:
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
Also available on-line: http://www.DrugAbuseStatistics.samhsa.gov.

Source (all figures): SAMHSA 1999, 2000, and 2001 NHSDAs. Additional tables available upon request.
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration
Office of Applied Studies
www.samhsa.gov