Hospital Visits

The latest data on drug abuse related hospital emergency department (ED) visits are from the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) for 2000, produced by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

The most recent DAWN data are from a national probability survey of 466 hospital EDs in 21 metropolitan areas in the U.S. during the year. The major DAWN findings for 2000 follow:

• There were 601,776 estimated drug-related ED episodes in 2000 and, among these, there were 1,100,539 drug mentions. (More than one drug may be in a person's system at the time of admission.)
  
  
• Alcohol-in-combination (with other drugs) was the most frequently mentioned drug at time of ED admission (204,524), followed by cocaine (174,896), heroin/morphine (97,287), and marijuana (96,446).
  
  
• ED visits involving the club drug MDMA (Ecstasy) increased 58 percent in the U.S., from 2,850 visits in 1999 to 4,511 in 2000.
  
  
• The number of ED visits involving heroin/morphine increased 15 percent, from 84,409 to 97,287.
  
  
• From 1999 to 2000, ED mentions of prescription drugs containing oxycodone increased 68 percent (from 6,429 to 10,825), and mentions of drugs containing hydrocodone increased 31 percent (from 14,639 to 19,221). From 1998 to 2000, mentions of oxycodone and hydrocodone increased 108 percent and 53 percent, respectively.

From 1999 to 2000, 7 of the 21 DAWN metro areas had increases in drug-related ED visits: 32 percent in Seattle (from 8,426 to 11,116); 28 percent in Boston (from 11,699 to 14,902); 22 percent in Los Angeles (from 20,678 to 25,288); 20 percent in Miami (from 7,128 to 8,560); 16 percent in Chicago (from 26,158 to 30,330); 12 percent in Minneapolis (from 4,643 to 5,198); and 9 percent in Phoenix (from 8,293 to 9,072).

Decreases also occurred from 1999 to 2000: 19 percent in Baltimore (from 14,172 to 11,505); and 12 percent in San Francisco (from 8,930 to 7,857). No overall changes were reported in Atlanta (11,114 visits), Buffalo (2,899), Dallas (6,798), Denver (4,946), Detroit (17,042), New Orleans (4,664), New York (31,885), Newark (7,749), Philadelphia (23,433), St. Louis (6,908), San Diego (7,094), and Washington, DC (10,303).

Among drug-related ED visits in 2000, dependence (217,224, or 36 percent of visits) and suicide (193,061, or percent) were the most frequently cited motives for taking the substances. Overdose (264,240 or 44 percent) was the most common reason given for contacting the emergency department. Between 1999 and 2000, ED visits involving overdose increased 14 percent (from 232,283 to 264,240), and increased 24 percent (from 72,960 to 90,625) for patients seeking detoxification.

From 1999 to 2000, total drug related ED visits increased 20 percent for patients age 12 to 17 (from 52,783 to 63,448) and 13 percent for patients age 18 to 25 (from 109,580 to 123,438), but remained stable for older age groups. From 1999 to 2000 visits involving Hispanic patients increased 20 percent (from 56,891 to 68,282). There were no significant changes for visits involving other racial/ethnic subgroups.

For detailed information from DAWN, visit www.samhsa.gov/statistics/statistics.html, or call the National Clearinghouse for Alcohol and Drug Information at 1-800-729-6686.