Since the 1980s, the meanings attributed to drug use have changed profoundly. This contextual shift is reflected in the transition from measuring drug addiction to describing diverse practices. This evolution corresponds to a shift from a paradigm that contrasts legal and illegal drugs to a model of addiction that encompasses all substances but distinguishes between patterns of use. These practices have been quantified through surveys of the general population. The methodological choices made in France regarding these surveys are examined in relation to perceptions of drug use. Often criticized for their reductive nature by proponents of a more comprehensive perspective, these surveys can nevertheless prove relevant and reliable, particularly through the combination of quantitative and qualitative methods. The rise of such studies has resulted in a growing supply of statistics that have taken on a significant role in public debate, at the risk of sometimes giving arguments the misleading appearance of indisputable objectivity.