Which is the single-question screen for drug use as described?

Which is the single-question screen for drug use as described?

• A. Do you drink beer, wine or liquor? How many times the past year have you had 5 or more drinks in a day?
• B. How many times in the past year have you used marijuana?
• C. Do you smoke cigarettes daily?
• D. How many times in the past year have you used an illegal drug or used a prescription medication for non-medical reasons?

Answer: (D)

The main idea is to use a brief, inclusive screen that covers any illegal drug use or non-medical use of prescription medications in a recent window. The best one-question screen asks whether, in the past year, the person has used any illegal drugs or used prescription medications for non-medical reasons. This wording casts a wide net across all drugs, so a positive response signals potential substance-use concerns and triggers a follow-up assessment. Why this is the best fit: it efficiently identifies individuals who may have risky or problematic drug use without limiting to a specific substance. In busy settings, a single broad question helps catch diverse drug use patterns and guides next steps for counseling, brief intervention, or referral. Why the other options don’t fit as the single-question screen: the first option focuses on alcohol rather than drugs, missing illicit or non-medical drug use. The second option asks only about marijuana, so it wouldn’t detect use of other illegal drugs. The third asks about daily cigarette smoking, which is nicotine use, not illegal or non-medical drug use.

The main idea is to use a brief, inclusive screen that covers any illegal drug use or non-medical use of prescription medications in a recent window. The best one-question screen asks whether, in the past year, the person has used any illegal drugs or used prescription medications for non-medical reasons. This wording casts a wide net across all drugs, so a positive response signals potential substance-use concerns and triggers a follow-up assessment.

Why this is the best fit: it efficiently identifies individuals who may have risky or problematic drug use without limiting to a specific substance. In busy settings, a single broad question helps catch diverse drug use patterns and guides next steps for counseling, brief intervention, or referral.

Why the other options don’t fit as the single-question screen: the first option focuses on alcohol rather than drugs, missing illicit or non-medical drug use. The second option asks only about marijuana, so it wouldn’t detect use of other illegal drugs. The third asks about daily cigarette smoking, which is nicotine use, not illegal or non-medical drug use.