SAFE Glen Cove Coalition: SAMHSA's Drug Abuse Warning Network

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) collects data to understand substance by monitoring drug-related emergency department (ED) visits, including those related to alcohol, to inform programs to aid in preventing overdose and substance use-related health consequences. Data from the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) is used to inform those communications, serving as a nationwide public health surveillance system that captures data on recent different opioid types involved in ED visits.

The Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) Drug-Related ED Visits Involving Suicide Attempts Short Report focuses on national estimates and characteristics of drug-related ED visits involving suicide attempts. According to the report:

• There were 51 drug-related ED visits involving suicide attempts per 100,000 population
• There were higher rates of suicide attempts among adolescent (age 12 to 17) females compared to adolescent males (231 per 100,000 vs. 66 per 100,00) and young adult (age 18 to 25) females compared to young adult males (145 per 100,000 vs. 73 per 100,000).

This short report identifies the top five substances mentioned in drug-related ED visits involving suicide attempts: alcohol (24%), antidepressant (20%), acetaminophen (16%), benzodiazepine (12%), and ibuprofen (10%).

This data provides information to help improve patient care and clinical outcomes in the ED and supports the need to recognize the potential of the ED as an important and vital setting for improving treatment and screening of co-occurring disorders.

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is a branch of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is charged with improving the quality and availability of treatment and rehabilitative services in order to reduce illness, death, disability, and the cost to society resulting from substance abuse and mental illnesses. For more information about SAMHSA please visit www.samhsa.gov.

The SAFE Glen Cove Coalition is conducting an alcohol and substance use awareness campaign entitled. “Keeping Glen Cove SAFE,” to educate and update the community regarding the negative consequences to one’s mental and physical health by using alcohol and drugs. To learn more about the Coalition please follow us on www.facebook.com/safeglencovecoalition or visit SAFE’s website to learn about alcohol and substance use please visit www.safeglencove.org.