Substanzkonsum und substanzbezogene Störungen in Deutschland im Jahr 2012

Aims: To examine prevalences, patterns and disorders associated with the use of alcohol, tobacco, illegal drugs and prescription drugs. Methods: The sample of the 2012 Epidemiological Survey of Substance Abuse (ESA) was randomly drawn from population registers and consisted of 9 084 individuals aged 18 to 64 years. A mixed-mode design including questionnaires, telephone and Internet interviews was applied. The response rate was 53.6 %. Results: Based on the past 30 days 57.3 % of respondents reported low-risk alcohol consumption whereas 14.2 % reported risky consumption. Overall, 30.2 % reported having smoked within this period. The 12-months prevalence of illegal substance use was 4.5 % for cannabis, 0.8 % for cocaine and 0.7 % for amphetamines. Analgesics were the most prevalent prescription drugs used within the past 12 months (61.9 %). Rates of DSM-IV substance dependence were estimated at 3.4 % for alcohol, 10.8 % for tobacco, 0.5 % for cannabis, 0.2 % for cocaine, 0.1 % for amphetamines and 3.4 % for analgesics. Conclusions: The high prevalence of substance use disorders associated with alcohol and tobacco emphasize the urgency of implementing effective prevention measures. Disorders associated with prescription drugs should be given more attention.