Note :

CAGE and CAGE-AID are not used to diagnose diseases, but only to indicate whether a problem might exist.

The questions are most effective when used as part of a general health history and should NOT be preceded by questions about how much or how frequently the patient drinks or uses drugs.

The reason for this is that denial is very common among persons abusing alcohol or other drugs; and therefore, the CAGE/CAGE-AID questions focus the discussion toward the behavioral effects of the drinking or drug use rather than toward the number of drinks or drugs used per day (Steinweg DL, 1993).

However, because questions do not discriminate well between active and inactive drinkers or drug users, FOLLOWING positive scores with questions regarding usual consumption patterns (e.g., frequency/quantity/heaviest consumption) will help make this distinction.

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Note :

By far the most important question in the questionnaires is the use of a drink as an Eye Opener, so much so that some clinicians use a "yes" to this question alone as a positive to the questionnaire.

Tthis is because the use of an alcoholic drink or drug as an Eye Opener connotes dependence since the patient is going through possible withdrawal in the morning, hence the need for a drink or drug as an Eye Opener.