NCJ Number
204901
Date Published
March 2004
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This DAWN (Drug Abuse Warning Network) report presents data on the number and types of drug-related visits to 16 hospitals in the Detroit metropolitan area in 2002.
Abstract
Currently hospitals in the Detroit area and 20 other metropolitan areas participate in the DAWN network, as they follow standard procedures for keeping records on cases that have involved medical treatment for drug abuse. Of the 1.7 million visits to the emergency departments (ED's) of the 16 Detroit DAWN hospitals in 2002, approximately 1 percent (20,979) were related to drug abuse. The most common drugs involved in these ED visits were alcohol in combination with other drugs (9,004); cocaine (7,608); marijuana (6,104); narcotic analgesics (4,047); and heroin (3,881). Between 2000 and 2002, the ED mentions of narcotic analgesics (pain relievers) in Detroit increased 72 percent, from 56 to 97 mentions per 100,000 population. Among the 21 DAWN areas, Detroit ranked in the top 5 regarding ED visits that involved pain relievers, marijuana, and alcohol. Of the cocaine-related visits, 78 percent involved other drugs; and over one-third of cocaine-related ED visits were attributed to "crack." Between 2000 and 2002, marijuana-related ED visits in Detroit increased 48 percent, from 99 to 146 visits per 100,000 population, compared to a 19-percent increase in the national rate over the same period. At 93 visits per 100,000 population in 2002, Detroit's rate of heroin-related ED visits was more than double the national rate of 36. Four figures compare Detroit's 2002 rates of ED visits for cocaine, marijuana, pain relievers, and heroin with the other 20 DAWN metro areas.