The 2011 DAWN emergency department (ED) public-use data and documentation files are now available for download and online analysis.
DAWN is a public health surveillance system that continuously monitors hospital drug-related ED visits. All types of drugs (licit and illicit) are covered, including all alcohol involvement for patients under 21, and alcohol involvement in combination with other substances for those 21 and older. DAWN estimates are based on a national sample of general, non-Federal hospitals, with oversampling of hospitals in selected metropolitan areas. Variables in DAWN provide details on the ED visit, including type of case, case disposition, drug involvement, route of administration, and the number of unique drugs reported.
A DAWN summary report (Highlights of the 2011 Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) Findings on Drug-Related Emergency Department Visits) is available from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The 2004 through 2010 DAWN ED public-use data and documentation files are also available on the SAMHDA Web site for download and online analysis.