Accidental injuries are a part of life, but drugs or alcohol tend to raise the risk of unintentional injuries and visits to the emergency department, according to data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission's National Electronic Injury Surveillance System in this infographic.
"Impaired judgment and coordination can make for some exquisitely dangerous situations," according to drugabuse.com, the creator of the infographic. "The number of substance fueled accidents and injuries that lead people to the [ED] are without doubt even more numerous than those documented in medical records, as people will frequently hide or downplay the involvement of drugs or alcohol out of embarrassment and, perhaps, the fear of legal repercussion."
Highlighted below are three things to know about ED visits related to drugs and alcohol over time.
1. Injury cases trend upward between March and May through the summer months of June though August. Every year since 2009, the fewest incidents always occurred between November and February. Spring Break, warm summer weekends and longer days may contribute to the number of injuries in their respective seasons.
2. Since 2009, there has been a steady, gradual upward trend over the course of the study period. Nationally, the busiest time for hospital EDs occurred in late summer of 2013.
3. The number of incidents spike noticeably between Friday and Sunday. This three-day span represents more than half of all injuries that occur during the week.
For more statistics and infographics, click here.