Results of Compliance with a State-Mandated Drug Incident Reporting System

• NCJ Number: 124675
• Author(s): N A Campbell; C Hachadorian; D A Tellier
• Date Published: 1989
• Length: 54 pages
• Sale Source: Rhode Island Dept of Health
• Publication Type: Survey
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: Presented to the 16th annual meeting of the American Society for Pharmacy Law, Washington, D.C., March 12, 1990

Annotation

Rhode Island's Drug Abuse Reporting System authorizes the State Director of Health to compile relevant statistics regarding the incidence of drug abuse; hospital emergency room data for 1989 are analyzed in this report.

Abstract

There were 1,187 hospital reports involving drug incidents in 1989, a decrease of 154 reports over 1988. Alcohol ranked first on the frequency of reporting list with 692 incidents. Of these incidents, 49 patients were charged with driving while intoxicated, 88 were in motor vehicle accidents, 193 incurred personal injuries, and 80 required detoxification. Alcohol patients ranged in age from 13 to 83 years, with males accounting for 474 cases and females 198 cases. Cocaine ranked second on the frequency of reporting list, with 50 incidents. Cocaine patients ranged in age from 15 to 52 years, with males accounting for most cases. Other drug-related incidents, in decreasing order of frequency, involved diazepam, alprazolam, tranquilizers, acetaminophen, antidepressants, aspirin, heroin, sleeping pills, antibiotics, benzodiazepine, fluoxetine, LSD, and marijuana. 6 tables.