NCJ Number
204897
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 30 hospitals in the New York City metropolitan area in 2002.
Abstract
Currently hospitals in the New York City 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. In 2002, of the 3.9 million visits to the emergency departments (ED's) of the DAWN hospitals in the New York City area, approximately 1 percent (33,645) were related to drug abuse. The most common drugs involved in these visits were cocaine (13,961); alcohol in combination with other drugs (10,969); heroin (10,397); narcotic analgesics (4,599); and marijuana (3,923). Cocaine-related ED visits in the New York City area declined nearly one-third between 1995 and 2002. In contrast, the national rate for cocaine increased one-third over this period, but remained at a lower level than in New York City (78 per 100,000 in 2002). The rate of heroin-related ED visits in New York City was stable from 1995 to 2002, and ED mentions of pain relievers increased 83 percent in New York City between 2000 and 2002, from 30 to 55 mentions per 100,000 population. Methadone was the most frequently reported pain reliever in drug abuse-related ED visits in New York City in 2002. From 1995 to 2002, marijuana-related ED visits in New York City were relatively stable at 47 visits per 100,000 population in 2002. Four figures compare New York City's rates of ED visits for cocaine, heroin, pain relievers, and marijuana with the 20 other DAWN metropolitan areas.