Drug Use In America~ Up 80% since 2004

This publication presents national estimates of drug-related visits to hospital emergency departments (EDs) for the calendar year 2009, based on data from the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN). Also presented are comparisons of 2009 estimates with those for 2004, 2007, and 2008. DAWN is a public health surveillance system that monitors drug-related ED visits for the Nation and for selected metropolitan areas. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), is the agency responsible for DAWN. SAMHSA is required to collect data on drug-related ED visits under section 505 of the Public Health Service Act.

DAWN relies on a nationally representative sample of general, non-Federal hospitals operating 24-hour EDs, with oversampling of hospitals in selected metropolitan areas. In each participating hospital, ED medical records are reviewed retrospectively to find the ED visits that involved recent drug use. All types of drugs—illegal drugs, prescription drugs, over-the-counter pharmaceuticals (e.g., dietary supplements, cough medicine), and substances inhaled for their psychoactive effects—are included. Alcohol is considered an illicit drug when consumed by patients aged 20 or younger. For patients aged 21 or older, though, alcohol is reported only when it is used in conjunction with other drugs.

Between 2004 and 2009, large increases in the involvement of non-illicit drugs (prescription drugs, over-the-counter medications, and supplements [e.g., herbal remedies]) have been observed in all types of drug-related ED visits (misuse/abuse, suicide attempts, adverse reactions, and accidental ingestions). It is likely that there multiple causes contributing to these increases. In respect to adverse reactions, some portion may be associated with the greater number of prescriptions being written and more people taking prescription drugs as part of their medical care. People of all ages are increasingly being prescribed multiple drugs simultaneously, which, in turn, has increased the possibility of unintended interactions. Polypharmacy is particularly common among older populations who are placed on long-term medication for chronic conditions, and the number of older persons in the nation is growing. In respect to misuse and abuse, these same trends have led to prescription drugs being more accessible and more easily able to be diverted. It is beyond the scope of this report to explore the causes behind the growing numbers of ED visits involving pharmaceuticals, and further analysis is needed.

All Drug-Related ED Visits

In 2009, slightly over 120 million visits were made to EDs in general-purpose hospitals in the United States, and DAWN estimates that at least 4.5 million of these visits were drug related. Drug-related ED visits have increased by over 80 percent since 2004. This increase primarily reflects greater numbers of medical emergencies associated with adverse reactions, accidental drug ingestions, and misuse or abuse of prescription drugs and over-the-counter medications.

Overall Drug Misuse or Abuse

In 2009, DAWN estimates that about 2.1 million ED visits resulted from medical emergencies involving drug misuse or abuse, the equivalent of 674.4 ED visits per year per 100,000 population. For those aged 20 or younger, the rate is 473.3 visits; for those aged 21 or older, the rate is 754.8 visits.

Of the 2.1 million visits associated with drug misuse or abuse in 2009,

• 35.3 percent involved pharmaceuticals alone,
• 23.0 percent involved illicit drugs alone,
• 10.2 percent involved illicit drugs plus alcohol,
• 11.0 percent involved pharmaceuticals plus alcohol,
• 10.0 percent involved pharmaceuticals plus illicit drugs,
• 6.7 percent involved alcohol alone in patients aged 20 or younger, and
• 3.9 percent involved pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs plus alcohol.

 

If you are alarmed by these figures…. You should be, an 80% increase in drug use in America also means and 80% revenue increase for pharmaceutical companies. These companies settle every law suit against their products before any media attention catches wind of the death and devastation caused by the drugs.

More people are dying due to pharmaceutical complications each year, these facts are buried by the  wealthy pharma companies. The big target seems to be our children~ “addict them young and have life time customers” is the big pharma model. The proposed legislation to have “mandatory mental health screening for teens and pre teens” is just a ploy to diagnose and prescribe our youth their drugs and creat life time addicts.

If you have a child that has been given a diagnosis of:

ADD

ADHD

Bipolar Disorder

oppositional Defiance Disorder

Any Mood Disorders

PLEASE seek alternative opinions. Get out of the Medical box and look at diet, allergies, food allergies..Alternative therapy, behavioral modifications, exercise programs, sports….

Try removing all video games as they have been  linked to ADD and ADHD. Limit the time spent in front of a television screen. Get kids outside in the sunshine.

Zuma’s Rescue Ranch and Experiential Learning Center has shown positive results working with children and families faced with these often misdiagnosed “disorders”.

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