Now that DAWN collects data on all kinds of drug-related ED visits and deaths, why hasnt the name been changed?
A. In spite of DAWNs broader scope, the focus is still on substance abuse. The inclusion of all types of drug-related ED visits and deaths is the result of an evaluation of DAWNs data collection methods, which revealed that drug abuse cases were being missed because medical records did not always explicitly state that the ED visit or death was because of drug abuse. Therefore, DAWN now casts a wider net, so to speak, by collecting data on all drug-related ED visits and deaths, and by collecting more details about each case. This allows us to make a more accurate determination of drug abuse cases, as well as other drug-related emergencies that impact the public health.
