TY - JOUR PY - 2012// TI - Trends in alcohol- and drug-related emergency department and primary care visits: data from four U.S. National surveys (1995-2010) JO - Journal of studies on alcohol and drugs A1 - Cherpitel, Cheryl J. A1 - Ye, Yu SP - 454 EP - 458 VL - 73 IS - 3 N2 - Objective: The purpose of this study was to update trends in alcohol- and drug-related emergency department and primary care visits over the last 15 years in the United States. Method: A trend analysis was conducted on substance-related health services visits, based on self-reported alcohol or other drug use within 6 hours before an injury and/or illness event, from four National Alcohol Surveys: 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2010. Results: A significant upward trend was found from 1995 to 2010 in alcohol-related emergency department visits but not in alcohol-related primary care visits. The odds of an alcohol-related emergency department visit doubled between 1995 and 2010 (odds ratio = 2.36). No significant trend was found in either drug-related emergency department or drug-related primary care visits between 1995 and 2010. Conclusions: These data suggest that alcohol-related emergency department visits have increased significantly over the past 15 years, whereas drug-related emergency department visits may have stabilized. These findings underscore the opportunity provided by the emergency department for screening and brief intervention for alcohol-related problems and suggest that Healthy People 2010 objectives calling for a reduction in substance-related emergency department visits were not realized. Thus, it might be prudent to adjust Healthy People 2020 objectives accordingly. (J. Stud. Alcohol Drugs, 73, 454-458, 2012).
Language: en
LA - en SN - 1937-1888 UR - http://dx.doi.org/ ID - ref1 ER -