Use of Tobacco, Alcohol, and Drugs
ShareCompartir
Slightly more than half of the decedents were reported to have ever smoked cigarettes. During the period these smokers smoked the most, almost one-third (31 percent) were reported to have smoked more than 24 cigarettes a day.
Number and percent distribution of decedents who smoked by cigarette consumption per day during the period they smoked the most: United States, 1993
| Cigarette consumption per day | Number | Percent | Standard error of percent | 95 percent confidence interval (+/- percent) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 1,257,000 | 100.0 | 0.0000 | 0.0 |
| Less than 5 | 80,000 | 6.4 | 0.6173 | 1.2 |
| 5 to 14 | 182,000 | 14.5 | 0.9205 | 1.8 |
| 15 to 24 | 418,000 | 33.2 | 1.2220 | 2.4 |
| 25 to 34 | 148,000 | 11.7 | 0.8673 | 1.7 |
| 35 to 44 | 171,000 | 13.6 | 0.9100 | 1.8 |
| 45 or more | 75,000 | 6.0 | 0.6185 | 1.2 |
| Item nonresponse | 182,000 | 14.5 | 0.9011 | 1.8 |
NOTES: Excludes deaths to persons under 15 years of age and those deaths occurring in South Dakota. Figures may not add to totals due to rounding. Standard errors are estimated using the statistical software package SUDAAN.
SOURCE: NCHS, National Mortality Followback Survey -- provisional data, 1993.
About one-quarter of all decedents were reported to drink alcoholic beverages during their last year of life. Twenty-nine percent of the drinkers were reported to have used alcohol every day. Nine percent where reported to have used alcohol less than once a month.
Number and percent distribution of decedents who drank alcoholic beverages during the last year of life by frequency of alcohol use: United States, 1993
| Frequency of alcohol use | Number | Percent | Standard error of percent | 95 percent confidence interval (+/- percent) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 536,000 | 100.0 | 0.0000 | 0.0 |
| Every day | 154,000 | 28.8 | 1.7168 | 3.4 |
| 3 to 6 times a week | 72,000 | 13.5 | 1.3199 | 2.6 |
| 1 or 2 times a week | 103,000 | 19.3 | 1.4879 | 2.9 |
| 1 to 3 times a month | 75,000 | 14.0 | 1.3362 | 2.6 |
| Less than once a month | 49,000 | 9.2 | 1.1146 | 2.2 |
| Item nonresponse | 82,000 | 15.2 | 1.3561 | 2.7 |
NOTES: Excludes deaths to persons under 15 years of age and those deaths occurring in South Dakota. Figures may not add to totals due to rounding. Standard errors are estimated using the statistical software package SUDAAN.
SOURCE: NCHS, National Mortality Followback Survey -- provisional data, 1993.
Thirty-nine percent of the decedents were reported to have taken medication for pain during their last year of life. About 2 percent were reported to have used marijuana, and less than 1 percent were reported to have used other types of illicit drugs.
Number and percent of decedents reported to have used selected drugs during the last year of life by type of drug used: United States, 1993
| Drug | Number | Percent1 | Standard error of percent | 95 percent confidence interval (+/- percent) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pain killers | 874,000 | 39.4 | 0.9302 | 1.8 |
| Sedatives | 379,000 | 17.1 | 0.7694 | 1.5 |
| Tranquilizers | 318,000 | 14.3 | 0.7069 | 1.4 |
| Antidepressants | 184,000 | 8.3 | 0.5594 | 1.1 |
| Steroids | 111,000 | 5.0 | 0.4187 | 0.8 |
| Methadone | 11,000 | 0.5 | 0.1119 | 0.2 |
| Heroin | 10,000 | 0.4 | 0.0613 | 0.1 |
| Marijuana | 36,000 | 1.6 | 0.1272 | 0.2 |
| Cocaine | 18,000 | 0.8 | 0.0364 | 0.1 |
| Hallucinogens | 4,000 | 0.2 | 0.0132 | 0.0 |
1 Percents based on 2,215,000 decedents.
NOTES: Excludes deaths to persons under 15 years of age and those deaths occurring in South Dakota. Standard errors are estimated using the statistical software package SUDAAN.
SOURCE: NCHS, National Mortality Followback Survey -- provisional data, 1993.
- Page last reviewed: November 6, 2015
- Page last updated: January 14, 2010
- Content source: