ER Visits Due to Drug Use in San Francisco

Individuals with loved ones who have a history of drug use know that there are serious consequences that can occur. Family members and friends of addicts have often experienced the stress that comes with witnessing overdoses, withdrawal symptoms and personality changes. Statistics in San Francisco demonstrate just how frequently addicts experience these consequences from their drug use, as outlined in the report Drug-Related Emergency Department Visits in Metropolitan areas from The Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality.

Drug-Related Emergency Room Statistics

In the San Francisco area, nearly 30,000 drug-related visits were made to emergency rooms during 2009. This is a number that includes all misuse of substances that include alcohol. San Francisco’s data has a disproportionate number of visits compared to the national average. The number of visits per 100,000 members of the population is used to evaluate the data. In 2009, San Francisco had 892 while the nation had 674. There was an even bigger gap in 2005 when the nation had 546 hospital visits and San Francisco had 1,357.5.

San Francisco falls in line with many other urban areas as teens and young adults make up the demographic with the most visits to the ER for drug misuse. Almost 1,800 out of 100,000 members of the population who visited the ER were between the ages of 18 to 24. Whereas the 35 to 44 age group had approximately 3,500 visits in total for 2009.

Common Drug Abuse Leading to Hospital Care

The most common substances misused by individuals in San Francisco that landed them in the hospital were:

• Illicit drugs
• Alcohol
• Prescription drugs

Oftentimes these substances are combined; for example, a person may consume both alcohol and illicit drugs. Central nervous system stimulants were the most common prescription drug category to lead to hospitalization. The most adverse illicit drug requiring medical care in San Francisco was cocaine.

Treating Dangerous Addictions

Family members and medical practitioners who see individuals experiencing the above consequences of their drug use can refer them to a quality treatment facility. Addicts may not be able to feel the consequences of their actions as severely as those around them, so outside intervention can be beneficial. Call us today if you have any questions about the rehab process.


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