Data presented at a South African Community Epidemiology ...

DACST Innovation Fund Project
Violence & Injury Surveillance for
Violence Prevention
Substance abuse in 3 cities
1999
SACENDU report back 12/10/99

SAMPLE SIZES : 1999
Cape Town 236
Durban 205
Port Elizabeth 311
Total 752

ACUTE ALCOHOL-RELATEDNESS
• Pts in CT and PE were
forthcoming about alcohol
drinking, not so in Durban
• On average 58% alcohol positive
• Mean alcohol level = 0.1 g/100ml
• 71% of violence is alcohol-related
• 50% of traffic collisions are
alcohol-related
100
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
• 28% of accidents are alcoholrelated
10
0
Violence Traffic Other
'accidents'
Durban Cape Town PE

CHRONIC ALCOHOL ABUSE
• CAGE used
• 2 taken as the cutoff for chronic
alcohol abuse
• about one-third scored 2+ in
Cape Town but only 12% of
patients in Durban
• three-quarters of the trauma
patients could be classified as
alcohol dependant in Port
Elizabeth
PERCENTAGE
90
80
70
60
50
40
30
20
10
0
0 1 2 3 4
TOTAL CAGE SCORE
Durban Cape Town PE
CUT OFF POINT

DRUGS ABUSED BY
TRAUMA PATIENTS
Cape Town Durban PE
THC 33% 34.2% 42.7%
Mandrax 22% 11.4% 13.2%
Cocaine 3% 2.5% 0
Opiates 7% 4.4% 0
Methamphetamine 0 0.6% 0
Amphetamine 0 0 0
White Pipe 21% 10.2% 13.2%

ILLICIT DRUG USE :
INTER-CITY DIFFERENCES
60
Used drugs prior to injury:
• 47% of violence patients
• one-third of traffic patients
• 35% of accident patients
50
40
30
20
10
0
Violence Traffic Other
'accidents'
Durban Cape Town PE

SUBSTANCE ABUSE IN TRAUMA
Drugs & Alcohol
26.4%
None
25.6%
Drugs only
14.3%
Alcohol only
33.7%