Hospital Emergency Department Visits Involving Underage Alcohol Use

Newswise (online) August 9:

"The new report shows that, in 2008, there were 188,981 alcohol-related visits to emergency departments by patients aged 12 to 20, accounting for about one third of the drug-related emergency department visits (32.9 percent) by this age group. According to the report, the majority of the emergency department visits in underage drinkers involved males -- 53.4 percent among those aged 12 to 17, and 62.1 percent among those aged 18 to 20.  The report further reveals that of the underage drinking emergency department visits, 70 percent involved alcohol alone while 30 percent involved alcohol in combination with other drugs. Of note, fifty-seven percent of these emergency department visits that involved alcohol combined with another drug, involved the use of marijuana. The report indicated that 17.8 percent of underage-drinking visits involving alcohol and drugs reported use of anti-anxiety drugs, 15.3 percent reported use of narcotic pain relievers, and 13.3 percent reported use of cocaine."
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