Illicit drug use remains a persistent problem in American society. However, despite a variety of data collection methods being available, none can provide comprehensive information on drug use among different populations in the country on their own. This essay will discuss one of the information collection systems, the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), its weaknesses, and how they can be strengthened.
NSDUH is currently the most thorough drug data collection survey in the United States. According to Goode (2015), the survey’s findings are highly dependable, especially among the adult population. NSDUH can be argued to be the most reliable collection method as it allows for the gathering of data from different populations as participants are selected at random (NSDUH, 2021). Its main weaknesses are failure to account for homeless people and people residing in correctional or long-term medical facilities. In addition, the data collected from adolescents cannot always be relied upon as adults are often present when they answer the survey questions (Goode, 2015). The random selection procedure can include homeless shelters and their residents and penal institutions to address these weaknesses. However, it is imperative to ensure the confidentiality of responses and adjust the survey format to achieve it. Furthermore, it is recommended to change the format for the adolescents to ensure their answers are not affected by the presence of an adult. Overall, addressing the lack of representation of the marginalized population in the survey and guaranteeing privacy for adolescent participants will help make NSDUH more reliable.
In summary, it is imperative to collect accurate data on drug use among different populations and communities in the United States to adequately and competently address the problem. Although the NSDUH survey is exceptionally reliable, it would benefit from ensuring more diverse populations are included to illustrate varied illicit drug and alcohol abuse tendencies. Addressing these weaknesses will result in more exhaustive data collection and knowledge of drug use in the country.
References
Goode, E. (2015). Drugs in American society (9th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.
NSDUH. (2021). About the survey. Web.