Temporal Patterns of Emergency Department Visits Related to Underage Drinking

This short report uses data from the Drug Abuse Warning Network to examine when alcohol-related emergency department (ED) visits occurred, by time of day and day of the week. Data from a nationally-representative sample of non-Federal, general hospitals with 24-hour EDs was used, with combined data for 2004-2011. The pattern was examines for patients ages 12-20, and the subgroups 12-17 and 18-20. The data were divided into eight 3-hour periods per day, and these were compared across the week. Then the week was divided into night-time period (9:00 p.m. to 5:59 a.m.) and daytime periods (6:00 a.m. to 8:59 p.m.), with night-time periods compared and then night-time and day-time periods compared for Sunday night to Friday morning.