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Surveys that estimate illegal drug use may underestimate actual drug use because they do not take into account the lack of willingness of survey respondents to disclose the extent and type of their illegal use, according to new scientific research.

Researchers at The National Development and Research Institutes conclude that surveys of illegal drug use should also include actual drug testing of some of those surveyed to estimate a percentage of those who are not willing to disclose their illegal drug use.

Researchers Andrew Golub, Hilary Liberty, and Bruce Johnson looked at results from the Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring (ADAM) Program, which not only asks arrestees to report their drug use, but also administers a urine test.

They found that the "willingness to disclose" factor varies from one section of the country to another, varies by the type of drug used, and by different demographic groups.

Willing to Disclose?

The researchers found:

• Arrestees were much more willing to disclose marijuana use than any other illegal drug.

• In one city, 93 percent of arrestees accurately reported their marijuana use, but in another city, only 68 percent disclosed their marijuana use.

• Reporting cocaine use was significantly lower than marijuana, ranging in one city at 28 percent to 70 percent in another.

• Differences in reporting drug use also varied between ages, race, ethnicity and gender.

Survey Results Questionable?

The authors believe the results of their research casts serious doubts on the accuracy of national surveys estimating illegal drug use.

"Users of such surveys need to continually ask whether reported differences in drug use reflect actual differences in use or differences in willingness-to-disclose use," said author Bruce Johnson.

The authors suggested that major drug use surveys should be supplemented with drug testing to determine the survey respondent's willingness to disclose drug use and how willingness varies across diffferent drugs and time periods.

Source: Results were reported in two articles "The variation in arrestees' disclosure of recent drug use across locations, drugs, and demographic characteristics" and "Inaccuracies in self-reports and urinalysis tests: Impacts on monitoring marijuana trends among arrestees" published in Journal of Drug Issues, 35(4), 940-965.