Lead: The association between temperature and alcohol- and substance-related disorder hospital visits

Lead Story:

The association between temperature and alcohol- and substance-related disorder hospital visits in New York State 

Communications Medicine

Using New York State hospital data, this study investigated the link between daily temperature and hospital visits as a result of substance use from 1995-2014. An increase in temperature 0-6 days prior to seeking hospital care was associated with an increase in rates in care. Increase in visits was highest when opioids were involved, and lowest for sedatives. The 25-44 age group was primarily affected, and males made up the highest proportion of cases. These results indicate that the rise in SUD hospital visits is linked to continued rising temperatures related to climate change; healthcare and social interventions could potentially mitigate these harms.

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