Clinically reviewed by David Stern, MD, board certified in addiction medicine, Medical Director at Southeastern Recovery Center. Last reviewed: November 7, 2026.
Clinical content by Rhett Owensby, LCAS, LCMHC, CCSI, Clinical Director.
If you or someone you love is in crisis, call or text 988. In an emergency, call 911.
Taking opioids or benzodiazepines every day? Please don’t stop all at once on your own. Opioid withdrawal can start within a few hours of the last dose. Stopping benzodiazepines suddenly can cause seizures, which can be life-threatening. Talk to a doctor first. If someone is not breathing or won’t wake up, call 911.
This is a private self-assessment, not a drug test. If you are worried about your drug use, or about prescription medicines you take in ways other than prescribed, you are not alone. Asking the question takes courage.
This self-check is adapted from the TAPS Tool, a free screening tool from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). We use only its questions about prescription medicines and other drugs. It starts with 2 questions about the past 12 months. If you answer anything other than “Never,” you’ll get a few short yes-or-no questions about the past 3 months for just those substances. Most people finish in a few minutes.
Worried about drinking instead, or as well? Our alcohol quiz is a good place to start.
Nothing you choose here is sent to us or saved. The self-check runs only in your web browser.
Please read first: This self-check is a screen, not a diagnosis. It does not replace an evaluation by a licensed professional. NIDA designed the TAPS Tool to be used with a health care provider, so please share your results with a doctor or with our clinical team. Your answers stay in your browser. We do not see, save or send them. If you are in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911 in an emergency.
First, 2 questions about the past 12 months. Then a few yes-or-no questions about the past 3 months, only for what you’ve used. One question at a time. You can go back and change an answer anytime.
Answer choices for each: Never / Less than monthly / Monthly / Weekly / Daily or almost daily
Answer choices for each: No / Yes. The first question in each group is the “gate.” Its follow-ups show only if the gate is “Yes.”
Adapted from the Tobacco, Alcohol, Prescription medication, and other Substance use (TAPS) Tool, National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), in the public domain. This page uses only the prescription medication and drug questions; the tobacco and alcohol questions are not included. Question wording is unchanged. McNeely J, et al. Ann Intern Med. 2016;165(10):690-699.
Please don’t stop opioids or benzodiazepines all at once on your own. Opioid withdrawal can start within a few hours of the last dose. Stopping benzodiazepines suddenly can cause seizures, which can be life-threatening (FDA). Talk to a doctor first. Our team can help arrange medical detox through our partner facilities.
Overdose safety. Mixing opioids with alcohol or sedatives raises the risk of overdose. Illegal drugs and fake pills can contain fentanyl without anyone knowing (NIDA). Keep naloxone (Narcan) on hand and learn how to use it (NIDA). If someone is not breathing or won’t wake up, call 911.
If you or someone you love is in crisis, call or text 988. In an emergency, call 911.
Your results show here when you finish, one line for each substance you reported. They use the TAPS Tool’s risk levels. This is a screen, not a diagnosis. Please share your results with a doctor or with our team.
You answered “Never” to both questions. That is a good sign. A short screen can’t see everything, so if something about your use worries you, trust that feeling and talk with your doctor or call us.
You used this in the past year but not in the past 3 months. That’s real progress. Even so, NIDA notes there can still be some risk, especially of starting again. If you’d like support staying on track, we’re here to talk.
Your answers suggest this substance may be causing problems or putting your health at risk. That does not mean you are addicted. For most drugs, NIDA recommends a closer look with a professional at this level. Talking it through can help you decide what to do next.
Your answers suggest a higher risk of a substance use disorder for this substance. You deserve support, and addiction is treatable (NIDA). A licensed professional can help you understand what’s going on and what kind of help may fit.
(Per substance, a Part 1 “Never” means that substance isn’t listed in results at all.)
Please don’t stop opioids or benzodiazepines all at once on your own. Opioid withdrawal can start within a few hours of the last dose. Stopping benzodiazepines suddenly can cause seizures, which can be life-threatening (FDA). Talk to a doctor first. Our team can help arrange medical detox through our partner facilities.
Overdose safety. Mixing opioids with alcohol or sedatives raises the risk of overdose. Illegal drugs and fake pills can contain fentanyl without anyone knowing (NIDA). Keep naloxone (Narcan) on hand and learn how to use it (NIDA). If someone is not breathing or won’t wake up, call 911.
If you or someone you love is in crisis, call or text 988. In an emergency, call 911.
See which level of care may fit: level-of-care guide
Feeling down or anxious too? Try our dual diagnosis self-check.
Questions about your results? Call (704) 452-4985.
We work with many major insurance plans; call to verify your benefits. Detox/Rehab May Be Fully Covered: check your insurance.
This self-check is a screen, not a diagnosis. It does not replace an evaluation by a licensed professional. Your answers stay in your browser. We do not see, save or send them. If you are in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911 in an emergency.
Each substance gets its own score. Part 1 decides which substances get Part 2 questions. In Part 2, each “Yes” (including the first question in a group) is 1 point for that substance.
| TAPS score for a substance | Risk level (NIDA’s label) | What we show |
|---|---|---|
| Not asked (Part 1 “Never”) | Minimal risk | Not listed |
| 0 | No use in past 3 months | “No use in the past 3 months” |
| 1 | Problem use | “Problem use” |
| 2 or more | Higher risk | “Higher risk” |
Highest possible score: marijuana, cocaine or meth, heroin, prescription opioids, sedatives and prescription stimulants 3 each; other drugs 1. Like NIDA’s online tool, results combine prescription opioids with heroin as “Opioids” and prescription stimulants with cocaine or meth as “Stimulants,” using the higher of the two scores.
NIDA notes that the cutoff of 2 or more works best for marijuana (and for tobacco and alcohol, which this page doesn’t ask about). For other drugs, a score of 1 or more is a reason to talk with a professional (NIDA TAPS Tool; McNeely et al., 2016).
This self-check is adapted from the TAPS Tool (Tobacco, Alcohol, Prescription medication, and other Substance use), which was developed by a NIDA Clinical Trials Network study team and tested with 2,000 adult primary care patients (McNeely et al., 2016). The full tool also asks about tobacco and alcohol. We use only its prescription medicine and drug questions, word for word, and score them the way NIDA does (NIDA TAPS Tool).
NIDA says: “This screening tool is meant to be used under a medical provider’s supervision and is not intended to guide self-assessment or take the place of a healthcare provider’s clinical judgment.” That’s why we ask you to share your results with a doctor or with our clinical team.
Southeastern Recovery Center, in Concord near Charlotte, treats adults 18 and older. Care often starts with medical detox through partner facilities if needed, then partial hospitalization (PHP) for about 30 days, then intensive outpatient (IOP) three times a week, day or evening, for about 2 to 3 months. A clinician decides your level of care with you.
What our medical director sees locally: Dr. Stern estimates that of the admissions he screens, 75 to 80% involve alcohol use disorder (AUD) rather than a drug use disorder alone (SUD, substance use disorder). That is his estimate from experience, not a SERC statistic.
“We see much more heavy drinking – AUD than pure SUD. Of the admissions that I screen, I think that 75 to 80% are AUD.”
“Fentanyl is still seen, though not as frequently as in the past.”
David Stern, MD, Medical Director, Southeastern Recovery Center
No. This is a private self-assessment, not a drug test. It asks questions about your use of drugs and prescription medicines. It does not test your body for drugs, and your answers are not saved or sent anywhere.
The TAPS Tool is a free screening tool from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). This page uses only its questions about prescription medicines and other drugs. It starts with 2 questions about the past 12 months, then asks a few yes-or-no questions about the past 3 months for each substance you report. It is a screen, not a diagnosis, and NIDA designed it to be used with a health care provider, so please share your results with one.
No. This self-check asks only about prescription medicines and other drugs. If you are worried about drinking, our alcohol quiz can help. Mixing alcohol with opioids or sedatives raises the risk of overdose, so please mention any drinking when you talk with a doctor.
It depends on the substance. Stopping opioids can cause withdrawal within a few hours, and stopping benzodiazepines suddenly can cause seizures. Please talk with a doctor before you stop. Our team can help arrange medical detox through partner facilities.
Yes. The self-check runs only in your web browser. We do not see, save or send your answers or your results. Nothing is stored after you leave the page, and we never ask for your name, email or phone number to see results.
“Source: National Institute on Drug Abuse; National Institutes of Health; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.” No NIDA/NIH/HHS logos.
David Stern, MD is the Medical Director at Southeastern Recovery Center. He is board certified in addiction medicine and holds an active North Carolina medical license. He earned his medical degree from Columbia University and has more than 40 years in practice.