NCJ Number
235434
Date Published
1986
Length
90 pages
Annotation
This statistical report presents semiannual trend data for mentions of selected drugs in emergency room drug-abuse related episodes for the period January 1983 - December 1985 and drug-abuse related medical examiner cases for the period July 1982 - June 1985, as obtained from the Drug Abuse Warning Network.
Abstract
Highlights from this report include: for the period January 1983 - December 1985, mentions for cocaine in emergency room (ER) drug-abuse related episodes increased for the total Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) system, the 21 metropolitan areas in DAWN, and a national panel of ERs; no metropolitan areas saw a decrease in cocaine mentions; mentions for heroin/morphine increased in the overall DAWN system, in the national panel, and in 13 of the 21 metropolitan areas; decreases for heroin/morphine mentions were noted in Buffalo and New York; mentions for marijuana increased in 9 of the 21 areas, while marijuana mentions decreased over the 3-year period in Detroit; 6 of the 21 areas noted increases in PCP/PCP combinations, while 4 areas showed decreases in PCP/PCP combination mentions. In medical examiner cases, drug-abuse related deaths involving cocaine increased from 115 in 1982 to 287 as of June 1985; and heroin/morphine mentions increased from 331 as of June 1983 to 581 as of June 1985. This report presents trends in the semiannual number of mentions of selected drugs in ER drug-abuse related episodes for the period January 1983 - December 1985 and drug-abuse related medical examiner cases for the period July 1982 - June 1985, as reported through the DAWN system. Data were obtained from 672 participating ERs and 76 medical examiners or coroners located primarily in 26 metropolitan areas in the continental United States. Trends in drug mentions are tabulated for 6-month intervals over a 3-year period. Tables and appendixes