Emergency Visits for Substance Use Disorders Rose, 2018–2021

This CDC QuickStats item, from the National Center for Health Statistics' National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, compares emergency department visits by adults with a primary diagnosis of a substance use disorder — mental and behavioral disorders due to psychoactive substance use — in 2018–2019 and 2020–2021.

Findings

Visits per 10,000 people.

In both periods, adults aged 18–34 were more likely than those 35 and older to visit an emergency department for substance abuse, use or dependence.

Emergency department visits for substance use disorders per 10,000 adults, by age group, 2018–2019 and 2020–2021, with 95% confidence intervals. CDC figure.

About the data

The survey samples visits to emergency departments in general and short-stay hospitals in the 50 states and D.C., excluding federal, military and Veterans Administration hospitals. Visits were identified by diagnosis codes F10–F19, and rates are based on Census Bureau estimates of the civilian, noninstitutionalized population.

Sources

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: "QuickStats: Rate of Emergency Department Visits for Substance Use Disorders Among Adults Aged ≥18 Years, by Age Group — National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey, United States, 2018–2019 and 2020–2021." Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 72(39). Reported by Adaeze O'Jiaku-Okorie, Xianghua Yin and Christine Lucas.