More Patients at ERs Citing Pot Use

CARSON CITY -- A federal study that shows drug-related emergency room visits are on the rise takes aim at marijuana use.

The survey, by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, said drug-related emergency room visits rose 6 percent in 2001 over the previous year, to 638,484.

The number of times marijuana was mentioned as a drug patients used rose 15 percent, the study said, greater than the increase in cocaine use, which rose 10 percent, and heroin and methamphetamine, which were unchanged.

The study, which surveys 458 hospital emergency rooms nationwide, comes as Nevada and Arizona consider ballot questions that would legalize or decriminalize marijuana.

"Marijuana-related medical emergencies are increasing at an alarming rate, exceeding even those for heroin," White House Drug Czar John Walters said in a prepared statement. "This report helps dispel the pervasive myth that marijuana is harmless.

"In reality, marijuana is a dangerous drug, and adults and youth alike should be aware of the serious consequences that can come from smoking it."

Billy Rogers, leader of the campaign to pass Nevada's ballot question, which would legalize possession of up to three ounces of marijuana, disputed the conclusions.

"They're not talking about marijuana emergencies," Rogers said. "Nobody has died from an overdose of marijuana."

When patients go to an emergency room, they are asked what, if any, drugs they have taken. The federal Drug Abuse Warning Network counts the mentions of illegal drugs and misused prescription drugs reported by patients, and those are compiled into the twice-a-year study. Often patients said they had taken more than one drug.

Alcohol in combination with other drugs was the most frequently mentioned nationwide, at 34 percent, with cocaine at 30 percent, marijuana at 17 percent and heroin, 15 percent.

Marijuana had been used in combination with other drugs 76 percent of the time it was mentioned; 24 percent of the time, it was the sole drug used.

The increase in marijuana use reflected in emergency room visits drew federal concern. Between 1994 and 2001, mentions of marijuana per 100,000 emergency room patients rose 151 percent, compared with 34 percent for heroin and 22 percent for cocaine.

The rate for patients age 12 to 17, although stable from 2000 to 2001, increased 23 percent from 1999 to 2001, the report said.

"The clear message of the DAWN survey is that in already crowded emergency rooms, increasingly, one of the reasons people are showing up is marijuana use," said Mark Weber, spokesman for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

"It's taking resources from other parts of the health care sector. If you have 10 people in a room, how do you prioritize?"

The study gave separate reports for 21 cities, but Las Vegas was not among them. Neither the state nor county health division had statistics for Nevada or Las Vegas on those treated in emergency rooms with marijuana problems, and University Medical Center does not track drug use by type of drug, a spokesman said.

Local paramedics said they have noticed an increase in drug use overall in Las Vegas, but not in marijuana, said Tammy Bame, spokeswoman for American Medical Response.

"No one seems to feel there is an increase," Bame said. "There's nothing that really stands out."

AMR paramedic Shannon Cavey said Thursday the top drugs she sees in the Las Vegas area are crystal meth, GHB and Ecstasy, drugs not frequently used with marijuana.

"We see a lot more of those than people just getting high ( on marijuana )," Cavey said.

Alcohol, another depressant, is the drug most commonly associated with marijuana use, she said.

An informal poll at Valley Hospital showed a similar result. Emergency room personnel have not noticed any increase in marijuana-related cases, spokeswoman Gretchen Pappas said.

Weber, of SAMHSA, agreed that in Western cities use of club drugs and methamphetamine has been more prevalent since the early 1990s. But across the country, he said, more young people are in drug treatment for marijuana dependence that all other illegal drugs combined.

As with any depressant, marijuana can be dangerous when taken with other depressants, Cavey said. However, a marijuana-only overdose is rare, said Cavey, who has been a paramedic for 10 years.

"I have never even seen anyone overdose on marijuana," Cavey said. "It's always been mixed with something else."

Rogers said there is going to be a lot of smoke blown in this election campaign and his job is to cut through it to get the facts.

Besides allowing the possession of up to three ounces of marijuana by adults, the constitutional amendment would allow the state Legislature to set up "pot shops" to distribute marijuana.

"Nevadans are smart enough to know that heroin and cocaine are dangerous and marijuana is less dangerous," Rogers said.

Always looking for a reason to discount the voice of us plebians

The electorate did that, as your ideas have failed dismally in the free marketplace of ideas.

"Whosoever, therefore, out of a state of Nature unite into a community, must be understood to give up all the power necessary to the ends for which they unite into society to the majority of the community, unless they expressly agreed in any number greater than the majority. And this is done by barely agreeing to unite into one political society, which is all the compact that is, or needs be, between the individuals that enter into or make up a commonwealth. And thus, that which begins and actually constitutes any political society is nothing but the consent of any number of freemen capable of majority, to unite and incorporate into such a society. And this is that, and that only, which did or could give beginning to any lawful government in the world." -- John Locke

I'm I correct in interpreting "stable" ownership to be that which is legally recognized and deeded and generally acknowledged to be controlled by a certain person or group of persons for the duration of the government in charge?

Which would tend to suggest that it's the "other drugs" and not pot, that's the problem

That's like saying "speeding isn't a problem, only the very sudden stops are."

The skyrocketing propensity of potheads to also use other drugs and then flock to our emergency room is a growing problem. One that confounds the advocates of legalization.

No free lunch indeed. I never asked for one. No one should ask me for a free lunch, I might just feed them braunschweigher (I know, bad spelling), and get sued by some liver allergy kid's soccer mom. Once we, as a society, claim responsibilty for every malady that besets the human race, we become slaves to the trial lawyers.

The potheads clogging our emergency rooms demanding medical treatment at public expense weren't ordered there by judges. Where did you get that idea?

Where did you get the idea that potheads are clogging our emergency rooms? It certainly can't be from this story, because it presents nothing (zero, nada, zilch) that shows a DIRECT correlation between pot use and emergency room visits, only that these people admitted to smoking it at some point. It intentionally omits the data regarding the REASON these people were admitted to ER. Nor does it provide and details on WHEN these people last smoked pot.

Have you ever in your life even heard of a case of "pot poisoning" or pot overdose? What are the symptoms? I'd be glad to reconsider my position if you can provide ONE single example of pot causing enough physical harm to warrant an ER visit, where all other factors have been ruled out. I mean a specific case from a reputable source, and not just vague statistics. If it's so widespread, it ought to be easy to find a case out there somewhere.

That's the nature of the potheads who want us to pick up their tab.

I got a hot flash for you Roscoe. As an ED physician I see way way way more money wasted on those who drink alcohol and smoke tobacco, and much of that is on the public tab. MJ doesen't even make a tiny blip on the radar....

I'm I correct in interpreting "stable" ownership to be that which is legally recognized ~~and deeded~~ and generally acknowledged to be controlled by a certain person or group of persons for the duration of their claims made pursuant to the laws and practices of those government[s] and societal systems in charge?

More or less. Centuries of carefully developed law resist narrow description.

The skyrocketing propensity of potheads to also use other drugs and then flock to our emergency room is a growing problem. One that confounds the advocates of legalization.

You are a liar. You possess less integrity than the average Democrat. You refuse to consider anything which might upset your very limited "all pot smokers are homeless and violent junkies" worldview. You could probably help make a big improvement to the lives of many underclass Americans if you let go of your phobia about marijuana.

MJ doesen't even make a tiny blip on the radar....

The study, which surveys 458 hospital emergency rooms nationwide, comes as Nevada and Arizona consider ballot questions that would legalize or decriminalize marijuana.
"Marijuana-related medical emergencies are increasing at an alarming rate, exceeding even those for heroin," White House Drug Czar John Walters said in a prepared statement. "This report helps dispel the pervasive myth that marijuana is harmless."

You are a liar.

The study, which surveys 458 hospital emergency rooms nationwide, comes as Nevada and Arizona consider ballot questions that would legalize or decriminalize marijuana.
"Marijuana-related medical emergencies are increasing at an alarming rate, exceeding even those for heroin," White House Drug Czar John Walters said in a prepared statement. "This report helps dispel the pervasive myth that marijuana is harmless."

The increase is largely explained by the fact that some people start out drinking, and then they don't care what they do. These stats mostly reflect increases in immigration from Mexico, and the continuing effect of combining the market with other, more serious, illicit substances

Where did you get the idea that potheads are clogging our emergency rooms? It certainly can't be from this story, because it presents nothing (zero, nada, zilch) that shows a DIRECT correlation between pot use and emergency room visits

The number of times marijuana was mentioned as a drug patients used rose 15 percent, the study said, greater than the increase in cocaine use, which rose 10 percent, and heroin and methamphetamine, which were unchanged.
The study, which surveys 458 hospital emergency rooms nationwide, comes as Nevada and Arizona consider ballot questions that would legalize or decriminalize marijuana.
"Marijuana-related medical emergencies are increasing at an alarming rate, exceeding even those for heroin," White House Drug Czar John Walters said in a prepared statement. "This report helps dispel the pervasive myth that marijuana is harmless."

Inhaling oxygen causes medical problems. 100% of all emergency room patients have inhaled oxygen at some point before their emergency room visit.

Obviously written by someone with fried brain cells.

The increase is largely explained by the fact that some people start out drinking, and then they don't care what they do.

Alcohol in combination with other drugs was the most frequently mentioned nationwide, at 34 percent, with cocaine at 30 percent, marijuana at 17 percent and heroin, 15 percent.
Marijuana had been used in combination with other drugs 76 percent of the time it was mentioned; 24 percent of the time, it was the sole drug used.

But across the country, he said, more young people are in drug treatment for marijuana dependence that all other illegal drugs combined.

More people *use* marijuana than all other illegal drugs combined -- many more. So...this statistic is meaningless.

If people want to use drugs, I say let them. And when they screw themselves up because of them, let them rot in the hell they created for themselves. They have friends and family that can help them (presumably), they sure as heck don't need help off of the public dole.

Tuor

A little research if you please. "life, liberty and the persuit of happiness". What is the origin of this phrase? Before this was adopted in the preamble, what language were they considering in place of "persuit of happiness"? This might give you some clue regarding the "natural rights" that Jefferson was speaking about. Have you ever read any of the Federalist Papers?

Centuries of carefully developed law resist narrow description.

"...of their claims made pursuant to the laws and practices of those government[s] and societal systems in charge?...

You know, the way you re-worded that, it could be taken as an endorsement of PETA land grabs. Why should "societal systems" be given legal authority? I thought the US was a Federal Republic, not a "vote for your own fantasy utopia" democracy.

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