National Vital Statistics System

Use of Tobacco, Alcohol, and Drugs

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.