Posted on 08/24/2002 1:02:56 AM PDT by JediGirl
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.
In fact, pot is rarely a topic during her shifts, she said.
"I don't hear about it much in the field," Cavey 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.
"We haven't seen anything like that," 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.
It would still be illegal for minors to possess the drug.
"Nevadans are smart enough to know that heroin and cocaine are dangerous and marijuana is less dangerous," Rogers said.
If it read, "More Physicists Citing Pot Use", or "More Pulitzer Prize Winners Citing Pot Use", the dopers would be going, "See! See! Pot is good!".
Give me a break.
There are many on this board (excluding myself) and elsewhere that promote the idea of treatment over incarceration. My understanding is that they're given a choice. Maybe I'm wrong.
Hey smart guy, losers are losers whether their poison of choice is legal or not. Those that are going to have to be taken care of on "our dime" are already being taken care of. Legalization changes nothing as far as how much money is going to be spent in ER's. Those who are using drugs to the point where they need an ER visit are already using them. It's the responsible law-abiding types that are paying the price for this unconstitutional WOsD.
Take your straw man some place else
What will the voters of Nevada say? Last survey I saw had it at 48 for, 48 against, and 4 undecided.
My guess is that the result wil be 52 to 48 in favor of the referendum.
Or should that be reeferendum?
It's flawed circular reasoning. For the most part, you don't need treatment centers for MJ. Here's the problem: Someone caught with a joint is not somehow an "addicted abuser" just because they happen to smoke in the first place, now needing a treatment facility - talk bout a non sequitur. I support the legalization of all drugs, but I have a hard time understanding why you woddies don't just "let it go" and concentrate on more addictive and or destructive substances. At least if I were a drug warrior that's what I'd advocate, much more cost and time efficient. You're not doing yourselves any favors by spending so much police time busting college kids with a bong and a 1/4 "O" of mexican dirt weed.
Some people can read this (true) sentence over and over and over, and it still won't register. They just don't want it to.
It appears that all the public elementary school anti-weed propaganda films left quite an impression on your fragile, eggshell mind. I'd imagine that you also believe that marijuana leads to heroin?
A physical impossibility, as I'm sure you're aware. Even Bob Marley himself couldn't have smoked a quarter ounce per hour for three days straight, let alone 4 pounds.
Yep :-) But I wouldn't mind having a day off and the money to give it a try, or would that be a "fry" :-)
I wonder if the majority of the WOD JBT's know that the dealers are on their side (as far as keeping drugs illegal is concerned)?
If you smoke cigarettes, eat fast-food, or homeschool your kids, I suggest you rethink your position, because they will be coming after you next.
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