Example Substance Use Screening Tool(s)

Following are the S2B1 and CRAFFT screening tools with scoring interpretations:

Levy SH, Williams JF; Committee on Substance Use and Prevention. Substance use screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment. Pediatrics. 2016;138(1):e20161211; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2016-1211. Full report available at: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-1211. Accessed September 2, 2018

Source: Levy S, Weiss R, Sherritt L, et al. An electronic screen for triaging adolescent substance use by risk levels. JAMA Pediatr. 2014;168(9):822–828

The CRAFFT (Car, Relax, Alone, Forget, Friends, Trouble) screening tool asks a series of 6 questions to screen adolescents for high-risk alcohol and other drug use disorders simultaneously. It begins with 3 opening questions: During the past 12 months, did you:

1. Drink any alcohol (more than a few sips)?

2. Smoke any marijuana or hashish?

3. Use anything else to get high?

Using the tool as an assessment to explore “yes” responses and to reveal the extent of the patient’s substance use-related problems may be more effective for gathering details for use in SBIRT intervention. If Yes is answered in Part A, it is necessary to ask questions to determine the frequency of substance use and to ask all 6 questions in Part B.

Source: Knight J, Roberts T, Gabrielli, Hook SV. Adolescent alcohol and substance use and abuse. In the Performing Preventative Services: A Bright Futures Handbook. Elk Grove Village, IL: American Academy of Pediatrics; 2017:3

Note: When using the CRAFFT tool, it is recommended that the provider also asks additional questions during the clinical interview to determine the patient’s frequency of substance use.