ABSTRACT
As the nation grapples with the problem of health care, it is imperative to understand the nature, scope, and role of alcohol and drug abuse. In 1994, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) reported about 519,000 drug-related episodes in hospital emergency departments nationwide. In the first half of 1995, there were about 279,000 episodes, representing an increase of 10% from the first half of 1994 (252,6000) (Byrne, 1996).
