Hallucinogen-Related Emergency Department Visits Surge 54 Percent in California
Last Updated: Thursday May 16, 2024
(Wiley Online Library) Observed hallucinogen-associated ED visits increased by 54% between 2016 and 2022, from 2,260 visits to 3,476 visits, compared with a 20% decrease in alcohol-associated ED visits and a 15% increase in cannabis-associated ED visits.
The observed hallucinogen-associated hospitalizations increased by 55% during the same period, from 2556 to 3965 hospitalizations, compared with a 1% increase in alcohol-associated hospitalizations and a 1% increase in cannabis-associated hospitalizations.
This rise in hallucinogenic ED visits was significantly different from the trend in cannabis-associated (P < 0.001) and alcohol-associated (P = 0.005) ED visits. The hallucinogen-associated hospitalizations trend also significantly differed when compared with cannabis- (P < 0.001) and alcohol-associated (P < 0.001) hospitalizations.