Hospitalizations for teenage drinking high in the US
Most teenage drinkers rushed to emergency rooms in hospitals across the United States are males, a new report from the Federal Government suggests.
As many as 189,000 emergency hospitalizations related to alcohol made by patients ages 12 to 20, accounting for a third of drug-related emergency room visits by this age group in 2008.
Among patients, males accounted for 53.4 percent of those ages 12 to 17 and 62.1 percent of those ages 18 to 20, according to data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
"Underage drinking is deeply ingrained in American culture. Alcohol consumption, especially by young males, is often seen as an exciting rite of passage into adulthood. This has led to a public health crisis with adolescents suffering serious injuries that oftentimes lead to tragic consequences," SAMHSA Administrator Pamela S. Hyde said in an agency news release.
"Every such emergency department visit provides an opportunity to conduct brief interventions that can reduce future alcohol and drug abuse and save young men's lives," she added.
As many as 70 percent of emergency admissions involved alcohol alone while 30 percent involved alcohol and other drugs, the study found.
At 57 percent, marijuana topped the list of combination drugs used with alcohol which necessitated emergency medical assistance. Among other combinations anti-anxiety drugs comprised 17.8 percent, narcotic pain relievers were 15.3 percent and cocaine 13.3 percent.
The researchers found that patients received follow-up care in 19 percent of cases involving alcohol alone. Nearly 72 percent of the patients in the case of alcohol alone were treated and released to their home compared to 35.5 percent of cases involving alcohol and drugs received follow-up care.