Trends in alcohol- and drug-related ED and primary care visits: Data from four U.S. National Surveys (1995-2010)

The association of alcohol and other substance use with health services utilization has been well-studied in U.S. populations, with mixed findings, showing positive, negative and no associations. To update trends in alcohol- and drug-related emergency department (ED) and primary care (PC) visits over the last 15 years in the U.S., a trend analysis was conducted on substance-related health services visits, based on self-reported alcohol or drug use within six hours prior to an injury and/or illness event, from four National Alcohol Surveys: 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010. A significant upward trend was found from 1995 to 2010 in alcohol-related ED visits, but not in alcohol-related PC visits. The odds of an alcohol-related ED visit doubled between 1995 and 2010 (OR=2.36). No significant trend was found in either drug-related ED or PC visits between 1995 and 2001. These data suggest that alcohol-related ED visits are significantly increasing over the past 15 years while drug-related ED visits may have stabilized, and underscore the opportunity provided by the ED for screening and brief intervention, for alcohol-related problems. These findings also suggest that Healthy People 2010 objectives calling for a reduction in substance-related ED visits are not being realized.