Drug-related ED visits rose 6% in 2023: 7 stats

The number of drug-related emergency department visits increased by about 6% from 2022 to 2023, according to a report from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. 

The agency published its annual report estimating drug-related emergency department visits in December. 

The data from the report is drawn from the Drug Abuse Warning Network, a surveillance system that captures data from 53 participating hospitals. SAMHSA uses data from these hospitals to generate national estimates. 

  1. There were an estimated 7.6 million drug-related ED visits in the US in 2023, a rate of 2,266 per 100,000 individuals. 

  2. Rates of drug-related emergency department visits were highest among males, at 2,668 per 100,000 individuals, and among non-Hispanic or Latino individuals, at 2,391 per 100,000. 

  3. Around two in three drug-related emergency department visits were individuals aged 26 to 64. 

  4. Alcohol, cannabis and opioids were the most prevalent substances in drug-related emergency department visits in 2023. Alcohol was the most prevalent substance, involved in four in 10 drug-related emergency department visits. 

  5. Alcohol-related visits decreased by 3.6% between 2022 and 2023, and opioid-related visits decreased by 3.7% compared to 2022. Cannabis-related visits increased by 4.6%. 

  6. From 2022 to 2023, opioid-related emergency department visits involving fentanyl increased by 46%, while visits involving heroin decreased by 41%. 

  7. About one in five drug-related ED visits in 2023 involved more than one substance. 

 

Read the full report here. 

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