Drug Abuse and Emergency Room Visits
Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) Releases 2008 Update Study
Jan 17, 2009
DAWN is a public health surveillance system that monitors drug-related Emergency Room visits for the nation. It is has been funded through the Office of Applied Studies (OAS) of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services since 1992.
This surveillance report is especially important because it identifies drug abuse trends and associated events in a real time fashion. It has been used in drug abuse education programs to demonstrate the very real downside of drug abuse for those who feel that drug use is a simple recreational activity. The report reveals the significant relationship between alcohol and drug abuse, and emergency room admissions because of drug overdose, detoxification or withdrawal, drug related accidents and trauma, and related mental health conditions. These are very real consequences of drug abuse and consequences that doctors and emergency rooms see every day.
Drug Related Emergency Room Visits
In 2006, hospitals in the United States delivered a total of 113 million Emergency Room visits. DAWN estimates that 1,742,887 ER visits were associated with drug misuse or abuse.
This estimate included approximately:
- 958,164 ER visits involved illicit drugs alone or in combination with other drugs;
- 577,521 ER visits involved the use of alcohol alone or in combination with other drugs; and,
- 860,108 ER visits were associated with nonmedical use of pharmaceuticals alone or in combination with other drugs.
The analysts found that of the 1.7 million drug abuse visits, about two thirds (66%) were associated with a single drug type. ER visits involving nonmedical use of pharmaceuticals alone accounted for another 28%. About 34% of the visits involved some combination of illicit drugs, alcohol, and/or nonmedical use of pharmaceuticals.
Drug Abuse Comparison Statistics
The 2008 report (an analysis of data from the 2006 study), also presented national estimates of drug-related visits to hospital emergency room visits against those for 2004 and 2005.
While the population of the United States increased 2.9%, from 2004 through 2006, according to DAWN the total number of ER visits attributable to drug misuse and abuse was stable from 2004 through 2006. Some changes were noted, especially an increase in admissions due to pharmaceuticals, but no significant changes were noted for any of the major illicit drugs (cocaine, heroin, marijuana, and stimulants) or for alcohol.
For public policy and health care policy planning purposes, few studies can be of more significance that the DAWN reports. This gives a picture of the degree of disease caused by drug abuse and the costs to all of society. Most importantly, it presents very significant evidence to contradict the concept that there are no negative effects of drug use and abuse.
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