Tobacco
Recent cigarette use plus dependence-related signals such as daily amount and how soon after waking smoking occurs.
Clinical screening & brief risk assessment
Substance Use Risk Check (TAPS)
A complete adaptive TAPS pathway: four short screening questions first, then only the substance-specific follow-up questions that apply.
Free full resultAdaptive 4–30 itemsAbout 2–5 minutesAdults 18+
Public-domain TAPS Tool · no signup · substance-specific results
Complete pathwayTAPS-1 and TAPS-2 are one experience.
Public-domain toolNIDA/AHRQ resources list TAPS as public domain.
Private by designNo names or free-text substance story requested.
Instrument registrySee source, scoring and limitations →How this version works
The first four questions decide what comes next.
If every first-stage answer is Never, the check stays short. If an area is flagged, the relevant past-3-month TAPS-2 questions appear automatically.
- Tobacco and alcohol follow-up appear only when their first-stage questions are positive.
- Drug follow-up separates cannabis, cocaine/methamphetamine, heroin, and other recreational drugs.
- Prescription follow-up separates opioids, anxiety/sleep medicines, and prescription stimulants.
- The result is free and substance-specific. It does not diagnose a substance use disorder.
What it checks
One adaptive screen covering the major substance classes.
TAPS was developed for adult primary-care screening and can be self-administered electronically. DesperateMinds keeps the two stages together so the user receives an actual substance-specific result rather than a dead-end “yes/no” flag.
Alcohol
Recent drinking, higher single-day intake, difficulty cutting down, and concern expressed by other people.
Cannabis
Recent use, frequent urges, and whether others have expressed concern.
Cocaine / methamphetamine
Recent stimulant use, weekly-or-more use, and concern from others.
Heroin & prescription opioids
Recent use or misuse, difficulty cutting down, and concern from others, shown as separate categories.
Sedatives & prescription stimulants
Nonmedical prescription use, frequent urges/use, and concern from others.
How the result works
Separate scores instead of one blended number.
TAPS-2 creates a score for each applicable substance category: 0–3 for tobacco and the scored drug classes, and 0–4 for alcohol. Research comparisons with ASSIST commonly describe 0 as low, 1 as moderate, and 2+ as higher risk.
The complete TAPS result, risk signals, limitations, and next steps stay free.
Important limit
Risk screening is not diagnosis or emergency assessment.
TAPS does not tell whether someone is overdosing, entering dangerous withdrawal, intoxicated, or medically unstable. It also cannot replace a full substance-use evaluation that considers functioning, medical history, medications, pregnancy, and other risks.
!
Overdose or dangerous withdrawal needs medical help, not another questionnaire.
If someone is unusually hard to wake, is breathing slowly or not normally, may have overdosed, is having a seizure, or appears medically unstable, use emergency medical services immediately. A screening score should never delay urgent care.
Sources and governance
Why TAPS is a good fit for this role.
- AHRQ Integration Academy — TAPS Tool (terms listed as public domain)
- NIDA Data Share — TAPS instrument information
- McNeely et al. — TAPS validation in adult primary care
- TAPS compared with ASSIST risk categories
This implementation keeps TAPS-1 and TAPS-2 together and avoids collecting a free-text drug name for the original unscored “other drug” item. Wording, scoring, safety flow and treatment guidance should be interpreted within the instrument’s clinical-use limits.
Frequently asked questions
Before you use a substance-use risk check
Does a higher TAPS score mean I have an addiction?
No. TAPS is a screening and brief risk-assessment tool. A qualified professional can determine whether a substance use disorder or another problem is present.
Why are there more than four questions now?
The four TAPS-1 questions are only the first stage. When an area is positive, TAPS-2 asks the substance-specific questions that make the result useful.
Why is there no single overall score?
TAPS is scored by substance class. Combining alcohol, tobacco, opioids, cannabis, and other drugs into one number would hide clinically important differences.
What happens if I used another drug not listed?
The original TAPS includes an “other drug” item but does not assign it a standard TAPS-2 score. DesperateMinds flags it for discussion without asking you to type the drug name.
Interpreting substance-specific risk
A TAPS result organizes risk by substance; it does not replace a full substance-use assessment
Different substances carry different overdose, withdrawal, interaction and medical risks. A professional assessment can combine the screening result with amount, route, pattern over time, attempts to cut down, consequences, medications, physical health and co-occurring mental-health symptoms.
| Concern | Why the score is not enough |
|---|---|
| Loss of control | Repeatedly using more than intended or failing to cut down may need direct discussion. |
| Withdrawal | Some withdrawal syndromes can be medically dangerous and should not be managed from an online score. |
| Overdose risk | Substance combinations, potency and tolerance can change risk rapidly. |
| Functional harm | Work, relationships, finances and safety can be seriously affected even before a person identifies as “addicted.” |
Use the result to decide whether to seek further assessment and what substance-specific details to discuss. See the substance-use hub and substance-use-disorder signs.
What to do after a substance-use screen
Write down which substances produced concern, the recent pattern of use and any attempts to cut down. Include blackouts, overdoses, withdrawal symptoms, risky combinations, impaired driving and medical consequences when relevant.
A positive screen can justify a professional conversation even if you are unsure whether the word “addiction” fits. If severe withdrawal or overdose risk is possible, seek medical guidance rather than abruptly changing use based only on an online result.
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Assessment privacy and limits
No payment or email is required to complete this free screening experience. Results are educational, and urgent or clinical concerns should be taken to an appropriate qualified professional or support service.