The
New DAWN Report: Emergency Department Visits Involving Underage Drinking
Highlights:
- The
Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) is a public health surveillance system
conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
(SAMHSA). DAWN provides national data on emergency department visits
involving illicit drugs, alcohol, and nonmedical use of pharmaceuticals.
Since 2003, DAWN has included emergency department visits involving
alcohol alone or in combination with other drugs for patients younger
than age 21.
- During
2004, an estimated 343,250 drug related emergency department visits
were made by patients aged 12 to 20. About 42% (142,701) involved alcohol.
- The disposition of the underage drinkers from
the emergency department appeared to be related to whether the alcohol
was used alone or with other drugs: 84% of the underage drinking patients
who were admitted to the emergency department with only alcohol were
treated and released. In contrast, only 68% of underage drinking patients
with both alcohol and another drug were treated in the emergency department
and released.
- Emergency department visits involving alcohol
with other drugs were almost twice as likely as visits involving only
alcohol to result in admission to the hospital for inpatient care: 19%
of the underage drinking patients with alcohol and another drug vs.
10% of the underage drinking patients with only alcohol were admitted
to the hospital for inpatient care.
- Among
the underage drinkers with only alcohol who were admitted from the emergency
department to the hospital, 40% required intensive or critical care.
Underage drinkers admitted with both alcohol and another drug were not
only more likely to require intensive or critical care but also were
more likely to be admitted to psychiatric units.
Data
on other specific drugs
Reports
on youth
Other
topics
Other
OAS publications and services
This short report, The
New DAWN Report: Emergency Department Visits Involving Underage Drinking,
is based on the Drug Abuse Warning
Network (DAWN), the primary source of national data on drug related
emergency department visits. DAWN is conducted by the Office
of Applied Studies (OAS) in the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration (SAMHSA).
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