The assessment of drug use and related problems is important for both prevention and clinical care. Measures that are both reliable and valid provide tools forhealth education, foridentifying problems (early if possible) in health care and community settings, and forevaluating the effectiveness of treatment. As well, this information is useful for matching individual needs and readiness for change with tailored interventions.

The Drug Abuse Screening Test (DAST) was designed to be used in a variety of settings to provide a quick index of drug-related problems. The DAST yields a quantitative index of the degree of consequences related to drug abuse. This instrument takes approximately 5 minutes to administer and may be given in questionnaire, interview, or computerized formats. The DAST provides a brief, self-report instrument for population screening, identifying drug problems in clinical...