title: Trends in alcohol- and drug-related emergency department and primary care visits: data from four U.S. national surveys (1995-2010).
abstract: 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.
  
  
  METHODS
  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.
authors.affiliation: Alcohol Research Group, Emeryville, CA 94608, USA. ccherpitel@arg.org
authors.forename: Cheryl J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Cherpitel
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ye
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology*; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009819:Office Visits / Q000706:statistics & numerical data* / Q000639:trends; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult