[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 2 (Monday, January 5, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 307-308]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-31299]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; 
Comment Request

    In compliance with Section 3506(c)(2)(A) of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 concerning opportunity for public comment on proposed 
collections of information, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
Services Administration (SAMHSA) will publish periodic summaries of 
proposed projects. To request more information on the proposed projects 
or to obtain a copy of the information collection plans, call the 
SAMHSA Reports Clearance Officer on (240) 276-1243.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collections of 
information are necessary for the proper performance of the functions 
of the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology.

Proposed Project: 2009 National Survey on Drug Use and Health Methods 
Field Test--NEW

    The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), formerly the 
National Household Survey on Drug Abuse (NHSDA) is a survey of the 
civilian, non-institutionalized population of the United States 12 
years old and older. The data are used to determine the prevalence of 
use of tobacco products, alcohol, illicit substances, and illicit use 
of prescription drugs. The results are used by SAMHSA, ONDCP, Federal 
Government agencies, and other organizations and researchers to 
establish policy, direct program activities, and better allocate 
resources. The procedures and materials are currently being redesigned 
for the 2012

[[Page 308]]

survey. In order to adequately test the proposed materials and 
procedures, a stand-alone field test will be conducted in the third 
quarter of 2009. This field test will examine the impact of changing a 
number of data collection procedures upon costs and data quality.
    The field test will feature an experiment assessing the benefits of 
offering a $5 incentive for the screening interview versus conducting 
the screening over the telephone. The portion of the sample that will 
receive the incentive will be notified of the cash payment in the lead 
letter. For the telephone screening sample, normal procedures will be 
used for the first 8 weeks. During week 8, the remaining households who 
have not been screened will either be contacted using a reverse look-up 
procedure and asked to complete the screener, or mailed a letter asking 
them to call a toll-free number to be screened.
    Other changes included in the field test version of the survey are 
an increased interview incentive and a brief appeal for honesty at the 
beginning of the questionnaire. New respondent debriefing questions 
will be added to the questionnaire while debriefing items that the 
interviewer answers will be modified. In addition, the hard copy pill 
cards and reference date calendar used during the administration of the 
interview have been converted to an electronic format.
    The total burden estimate is shown below:

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                                                                               Average burden
                                          No. of responses    Responses per     per response      Total burden
                                                               respondent           (hr.)            (hrs.)
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Household Screening.....................             3,900                 1              .083             323.7
Interview...............................             1,875                 1               1.0             1,875
Screening Verification..................               390                 1              .067              26.1
Interview Verification..................               188                 1              .067              12.6
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    Total...............................             6,353  ................  ................             2,237
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    Send comments to Summer King, SAMHSA Reports Clearance Officer, 
Room 7-1044, One Choke Cherry Road, Rockville, MD 20857 and e-mail her 
a copy at [email protected]. Written comments should be 
received within 60 days of this notice.

    Dated: December 24, 2008.
Dennis O. Romero,
Acting Deputy Executive Officer.
[FR Doc. E8-31299 Filed 1-2-09; 8:45 am]
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