What substances does this tool screen for?

Tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, cocaine, amphetamines, sedatives, hallucinogens, inhalants, opioids, and other drugs.

Is this tool appropriate to use with people with HIV?

The ASSIST was developed by the World Health Organization and is recommended for universal screening. However, no study has specifically examined the use of the tool among people with HIV.

Who administers and scores the tool?

• A staff person or health care provider who has been trained to administer the ASSIST, reading questions as written and not providing any additional information until after completion.
• Scoring should be completed by a trained staff person or health care provider.

Has this tool been validated?

Yes, the ASSIST tool has been evaluated against multiple substance use screening tools (e.g., DAST, AUDIT). Sensitivity is found to range between 54% to 97%, and specificity between 50% and 96%, depending on substance.

Please see reference list: 15 and 16