KEY FINDINGS: DRUG ABUSE WARNING NETWORK

Among key findings announced Tuesday by the federal government's Drug Abuse
Warning Network:

In 1996, there were 487,600 drug-related hospital emergency-department
episodes overall, down significantly from 1994 (518,500) and 1995 (517,800).

There was no statistically significant change in the total of
cocaine-related cases between 1995 (138,000) and 1996 (144,200).

Between 1995 and 1996, there were no changes in either cocaine- or
heroin-related episodes by age, sex or race and ethnicity. However, between
1994 and 1996, there was a 21 percent increase in cocaine cases and a 20
percent increase in heroin cases among those 35 and older.

Although heroin-related episodes had increased steadily since the early
1980s, there was no change in the number of heroin-related episodes
reported from 1995 (72,200) to 1996 (70,463). However, between 1990 and
1996, there was a 108 percent increase, from 33,900 to 70,500.

Marijuana/hashish episodes rose from 40,200 in 1994 to 50,000 in 1996, an
increase of 25 percent. Since 1990, such incidents have increased 219 percent.

Between 1995 and 1996, there were no changes in marijuana/hashish cases by
age, sex or race/ethnicity. However, between 1994 and 1996,
marijuana-related episodes have increased 33 percent among those 12 to 17;
27 percent among those 26 to 34; and 41 percent among those 35 and older.

Methamphetamine-related episodes dropped from 16,200 in 1995 to 10,800 in
1996.

Health officials attributed the increases among older Americans to their
higher vulnerability to a range of age-related health problems and to a
greater likelihood that they would seek professional care.