How this instrument works
The Drug Abuse Screening Test, known as DAST-10, is a validated 10-item yes/no self-report screen for problems related to drug use. Its items are drawn from the original 28-item Drug Abuse Screening Test that psychiatrist Harvey Skinner published in the journal Addictive Behaviors in 1982; researchers later condensed that instrument into the widely used 10-item short form. Each of the ten questions covers a different sign associated with drug-related problems — use of drugs beyond medical need, using more than one drug at a time, feeling unable to stop, blackouts, guilt, complaints from family, neglecting family, illegal activity to obtain drugs, withdrawal symptoms, and drug-related medical problems. Every Yes answer scores one point, for a total between 0 and 10.
DAST-10 is about drug use specifically, distinct from alcohol-focused screening instruments such as the CAGE questionnaire, which asks about cutting down, criticism, guilt, and morning drinking rather than drug use. Someone concerned specifically about alcohol use is better served by an alcohol-specific instrument like CAGE; DAST-10 is built around drugs other than alcohol and tobacco.
The ten points sort into five bands: a score of 0 indicates no problems reported, 1 to 2 is a low level, 3 to 5 is a moderate level, 6 to 8 is a substantial level, and 9 to 10 is a severe level of drug-related problems. Higher bands are generally associated in the validation literature with a greater likelihood of a diagnosable substance use disorder, but the score itself is a screening flag, not a clinical diagnosis.
One wording change is worth stating plainly. The original 1982 instrument's third item was reverse-scored: it asked 'Are you always able to stop using drugs when you want to?' and a No answer — not Yes — earned the point. This calculator rephrases that item to 'Are you unable to stop using drugs when you want to?' so that, like every other item, a Yes answer is the one that adds a point. The point value behind the question is unchanged; only the wording and answer direction were made consistent with the rest of the test, so the arithmetic still matches the published instrument even though the question reads differently.
- Answer each of the ten yes/no questions (q1 through q10) honestly, based on your own drug use.
- Read question 3 carefully — it asks whether you are unable to stop using drugs when you want to, so answer Yes if that is true for you.
- Selecting Yes for a question adds one point; selecting No adds zero points.
- Read the DAST-10 score, a total from 0 to 10 points.
- Read the risk tier the score falls into — none, low, moderate, substantial, or severe.
Worked example — three answer patterns
Someone who answers No to all ten questions scores 0 out of 10 — the DAST-10's lowest possible total, placing them in the 'none' tier, meaning this screen flags no signs of drug-related problems.
Someone who answers Yes to three items — having used drugs other than for medical reasons, abusing more than one drug at a time, and feeling bad or guilty about drug use — scores 3 out of 10, placing them in the moderate tier (3-5), the band directly above low.
Someone who answers Yes to nine of the ten items, everything except having had medical problems such as memory loss, hepatitis, or seizures from drug use, scores 9 out of 10, landing in the severe tier (9-10), the DAST-10's highest risk band short of a perfect 10.
Questions
What does a DAST-10 score of 9 mean?
A score of 9 falls in the severe tier (9-10), the highest of the five DAST-10 bands. It is a strong signal from a validated screening instrument that further evaluation by a doctor, counselor, or addiction specialist is warranted — it is not, on its own, a diagnosis of substance use disorder, which requires a clinical evaluation beyond a 10-item self-report screen.
Why was question 3 changed from the original DAST-10 wording?
The original 1982 instrument's item 3 was reverse-scored: it asked whether you are ALWAYS able to stop using drugs when you want to, and answering No — not Yes — earned the point. This calculator rephrases it to 'Are you unable to stop using drugs when you want to?' so a Yes answer, like every other item, is the concerning direction. The point value is identical; only the question's wording and answer direction were made consistent with the other nine items.
Is a high DAST-10 score a diagnosis of drug addiction?
No. DAST-10 is a brief, validated screening tool meant to flag a pattern worth a closer look, not to diagnose substance use disorder by itself. A score in the moderate, substantial, or severe range is best treated as a prompt to talk with a doctor, counselor, or addiction specialist, who can ask further questions and consider the full clinical picture.
How is DAST-10 different from the CAGE questionnaire?
DAST-10 screens for problems related to drug use broadly, across ten yes/no items covering things like polydrug use, withdrawal, and medical complications. CAGE is a separate, shorter instrument focused specifically on alcohol, built around cutting down, criticism, guilt, and morning drinking. Someone concerned specifically about their drinking is better served by CAGE; DAST-10 is built around drugs other than alcohol and tobacco.
What do the DAST-10 risk tiers mean?
A score of 0 is the 'none' tier, 1-2 is low, 3-5 is moderate, 6-8 is substantial, and 9-10 is severe. These bands come from the validation literature behind the instrument and describe how the ten-point total is generally interpreted; higher bands are associated with a greater likelihood of drug-related problems, but the tier itself is a screening classification, not a clinical verdict.
Who created the DAST-10 and when?
Psychiatrist Harvey A. Skinner published the original 28-item Drug Abuse Screening Test in the journal Addictive Behaviors in 1982. Researchers Bohn, Babor, and Kranzler later condensed it into the 10-item DAST-10 used here, keeping the same one-point-per-Yes scoring logic drawn from Skinner's original instrument.
What should I do if my score is elevated?
Treat it as a prompt, not a verdict: bring the result to a doctor, counselor, or addiction treatment professional who can ask follow-up questions and consider your full history. DAST-10 is designed to flag a pattern worth discussing further, and a professional evaluation is the appropriate next step after an elevated score, not a self-directed conclusion.
References
- Skinner HA — The Drug Abuse Screening Test, Addictive Behaviors, 1982;7(4):363-371 (PubMed)
- Yudko, Lozhkina, Fouts — Review of psychometric properties of the DAST, 2007
Read this first: This instrument computes a screening figure from population formulas — it is not a diagnosis, and it cannot see the whole picture a clinician can. Use it to inform a conversation, not to replace one.