Screening for drug use disorders (excluding alcohol and tobacco).
Brief assessment of the consequences of drug use in the past 12 months.
Identifying patients who require further diagnostic evaluation and intervention for substance abuse.
Initial screening in primary care and emergency medicine settings.
Section 2
Formula & Logic
Scoring Component
The DAST-10 consists of 10 Yes/No items. Each "Yes" response is scored as 1 point, except for item 3 ("Are you always able to stop using drugs when you want to?") where a "No" response earns 1 point.
Severity Interpretation
Score 0
None reported
Score 1–2
Low level
Score 3–5
Moderate level
Score 6–8
Substantial level
Score 9–10
Severe level
Section 3
Pearls/Pitfalls
Drug Scope
The DAST-10 specifically excludes alcohol and nicotine. It focuses on the misuse of prescription drugs or the use of illicit substances.
Clinical Pearls
A score of 3 or higher is typically considered the threshold for identifying a drug use problem with high clinical significance.
Self-report accuracy may be compromised by fear of legal consequences; clinical rapport is essential.
Item 10 (Medical problems) is a strong indicator of physical dependence and advanced disease progression.
Section 4
Next Steps
Recommended Actions
01
Score 1–2: Provide brief advice (health risks, reduction strategies).
02
Score 3–5: Brief intervention and possible referral for outpatient substance abuse treatment.
03
Score 6–10: Intensive referral to specialized treatment (detox, residential, or intensive outpatient programs).
Section 5
Evidence Appraisal
Primary Reference
The Drug Abuse Screening Test
Skinner HA. • Addictive Behaviors. 1982;Vol 7, Issue 4. pp. 363-371. The original study validating the DAST.
Section 6
Literature
Harvey Skinner
Developed by Dr. Harvey Skinner at the Addiction Research Foundation in Toronto. It was designed to provide a brief, quantifiable measure of drug involvement similar to the MAST for alcohol.
