County-Level Hospitalization Rates Show Impact of Opioids, Other Substances

A new online statistical resource from AHRQ allows users to compare county-level hospitalization rates for opioids, alcohol, stimulants and other drugs. While statistics show that alcohol-related hospitalizations ranked first in most communities, opioids and stimulants ranked second or third for hospitalizations in nearly all of the more than 1,600 counties and two cities that provided data for the analysis. To support ongoing efforts to address the opioids crisis, AHRQ has also updated an interactive online map of the United States to provide county-specific data on opioid-related hospitalization rates in 32 states. These resources will be updated to support ongoing efforts by public health officials, clinicians, first responders, researchers and others who are working to reduce the impact of substance abuse. Learn more by accessing AHRQ's press release.