JANUARY  2004

Highlights From DAWN:  Washington, DC, 2002
This special report presents findings based on data Top 5 drugs in drug abuse­related
submitted by 15 hospitals in the Washington, DC, ED visits in Washington, DC, 2002
metropolitan area for 2002.
■ Of the 1.3 million visits to Washington area 5000

emergency departments (EDs) in 2002, about

one percent (10,554) were related to drug abuse.
4000
■ During 2002, the most common drugs involved 3,714
in these ED visits were alcohol in combination
with other drugs, cocaine, marijuana, heroin, 3,033
Number of visits
3000
and phencyclidine (PCP).
■ Between 2001 and 2002, the rate of PCP­related 2,332
ED visits increased 143 percent (from 13 to 31 2000
visits per 100,000 population). 1,597
■ Among the 21 DAWN areas, Washington had  1,302
one of the highest rates of ED visits involving 1000
PCP in 2002.

0
Alcohol­in­� Cocaine Marijuana Heroin PCP
combination 

DAWN:  The Warning Network
Local information is essential to
Seattle
support local action, and drugs, drug
use, and drug­related morbidity can Detroit
Minneapolis
differ dramatically across communities. Buffalo
DAWN focuses on metropolitan areas Boston
Chicago
to reveal emerging drug problems Denver Baltimore New York
San Francisco St. Louis Washington
before they become widespread. Newark
DAWN detects new drugs, new drug Philadelphia

combinations, new health consequences  Los Angeles

Phoenix Atlanta
of drug use, and changing patterns involving Dallas
old drugs. Facilities participating in DAWN San�
Diego
can use this information to train staff and
New�
improve patient care. Communities can use this information to Orleans
plan, target resources, and act more effectively. Miami

Today, hospitals in Washington and 20 other metropolitan areas serve their 
communities by participating in DAWN. Expansion to other areas is underway.
DAWN serves a diverse audience. In addition to participating facilities, users include researchers and policy analysts; pharmaceutical firms;
State and local substance abuse agencies; community coalitions; and Federal agencies, including the White House Office of National Drug
Control Policy, the Food and Drug Administration, and the National Institute on Drug Abuse. For more information, go to
http://DAWNinfo.samhsa.gov/.
2 T H E   DA W N   R E P O R T     • J A N UA RY   2 0 0 4

Trends in Top 4 Drugs, 1995­2002

Cocaine

■ From 1995 to 2002, the rate of cocaine­related

150

ED visits in Washington remained stable (at 71

visits per 100,000 population), while the

Rate per 100,000�

100

national rate increased 33 percent (from 58 to

population
U.S.
78 visits per 100,000).

Washington
■ In Washington, almost three­quarters (71%)  50

of cocaine­related visits involved other drugs.
About one­fifth of the cocaine mentions were
attributed to “crack.” 0
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

Marijuana

■ In 2002, Washington’s rate of marijuana­related 150

ED visits (55 visits per 100,000 population) was
near the national average (47). However, the Rate per 100,000�
100

rate in Washington was relatively stable from
population

1995 to 2002, while the national rate increased Washington

139 percent. 50

■ ED visits involving marijuana usually involve 0
U.S.
other drugs as well (74%).
0
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

0
Heroin
0
■ From 1995 to 2002, the rate of heroin­related
150

ED visits in Washington remained stable (at 38

visits per 100,000 population). Over the same 

Rate per 100,000�

100

8­year period, the national rate rose 22 percent

population

(from 30 to 36 visits per 100,000).

■ In half (50%) of heroin­related ED visits in 50

Washington
the Washington area, heroin was the only 
U.S.
drug reported.
0
1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

PCP

■ Between 2001 and 2002, the rate of PCP­related 80

ED visits increased 143 percent in Washington
(from 13 to 31 visits per 100,000 population). 60

Rate per 100,000�

population

■ Washington’s rate of PCP­related visits in 2002

was 10 times the national rate (3 visits per

40
Washington
100,000 population).

20

■ Nearly two­thirds (65%) of PCP­related ED

visits in Washington also involved other drugs. U.S.
0

1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002

 T H E   DA W N   R E P O R T     • J A N UA RY   2 0 0 4 3

Comparisons Across 21 Metropolitan Areas
???

The following figures show Washington in relation to the Nation and 20 other metropolitan areas represented in
DAWN for selected drugs in 2002. Comparisons across areas are possible because the number of visits for each drug
is represented in terms of a rate per 100,000 population. Not all differences in rates are statistically significant.

Cocaine visits� Heroin visits�
Rate per 100,000 population, 2002 Rate per 100,000 population, 2002

Total U.S. 78 Total U.S. 36
Chicago 275 Chicago 220
Philadelphia 274 Newark 214
Baltimore 257 Baltimore 203
Miami 240 San Francisco 171
Atlanta 239 Seattle 128
Newark 186 New York 123
Detroit 182 Boston 111
Buffalo 171 Philadelphia 109
New York 166� Buffalo 93�
� �
93�
Seattle 164� Detroit
� �
85
Boston 156 Miami
St. Louis 153 New Orleans 53
San Francisco 150 St. Louis 51
New Orleans 145 Denver 43
Los Angeles 108 Washington, DC 38
Denver 82� Los Angeles 29
�
71 San Diego 28
Washington, DC
Phoenix 59 Phoenix 23
Minneapolis 55 Atlanta 20
Dallas 46 Minneapolis 16
San Diego 0 32 Dallas 10
0
0 0 300 0 225

Marijuana visits� PCP visits�
Rate per 100,000 population, 2002 Rate per 100,000 population, 2002

Total U.S. 47 Total U.S. 3
Philadelphia 150 Washington, DC 31
Detroit 146 Philadelphia 25
St. Louis 124 Los Angeles 11
Boston 119 Chicago 8
Miami 111 Newark 7
Atlanta 96 St. Louis 6
Baltimore 88 Seattle 6
Chicago 78 Baltimore 5
New Orleans 72� Dallas 4
�
65�
Seattle New York 4�
�
64 �
Los Angeles Minneapolis 3
Buffalo 56 San Francisco 3
Washington, DC 55 Phoenix 3
Newark 54 San Diego 2
New York 47 New Orleans 1
Minneapolis 47� Detroit 1
�
46
San Diego Boston 1
Phoenix 46 Miami 0�
San Francisco 39 �
Buffalo 0
Denver 38
Dallas 27
0 160 0 130
4 T H E   DA W N   R E P O RT     • J A N UA RY   2 0 0 4

About DAWN
???

The Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) is a national surveillance system that monitors drug­related

morbidity and mortality. Section 505 of the Public Health Service Act assigns this responsibility to the Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services. The Act requires SAMHSA to report annually on drug­related visits to hospital emergency
departments and on drug­related deaths reviewed by medical examiners and coroners. SAMHSA has a contract
with Westat, a private research firm based in Rockville, MD, to operate the DAWN system.

DAWN collects data from a scientific sample of hospital emergency departments and a set of medical examiners

and coroners from across the U.S., with concentrations in selected metropolitan areas. Each participating facility
has a DAWN Reporter who is specially trained to identify DAWN cases by retrospectively reviewing emergency
department medical records or death investigation case files. No patient, family member, or physician is ever
interviewed. No direct identifiers for individual patients or decedents are collected.

Beginning in 2003, DAWN cases include any emergency department visit or death that was related to drug use.

Reportable cases include drug abuse, misuse, overmedication, accidental and malicious poisonings, and adverse
drug reactions. For each case, the DAWN Reporter submits a case report detailing the specific drugs involved,
and characteristics of the patient or decedent and event (visit or death). Patient and decedent characteristics
include demographics (age, gender, race/ethnicity) and ZIP code. Other data items include date/time, chief
complaint, diagnoses, and disposition for each emergency department visit; and date, cause, manner, and place 
of death for each decedent.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration FIRST CLASS MAIL
Office of Applied Studies POSTAGE & FEES PAID
5600 Fishers Lane, Room 16­105 SAMHSA
Rockville, MD 20857 PERMIT NO. G­283

Official Business
Penalty for Private Use $300