This article examines long-term patterns of health care service utilization and cost for alcohol abusers by comparing those who did and did not receive chemical dependence treatment over  years.  The study found that unadjusted analysis showed that, in the years immediately before each follow-up period, a higher percentage of those receiving chemical dependency treatment stayed overnight at hospital or used ER services; however, most of the significant differences between the treatment and non-treatment group vanished when controlling for covariants. 

Alexandre, P. K., M. T. French, et al. (2006). Addiction treatment history, medical services utilization, and cost: a longitudinal analysis of problem drinkers. Journal of Addictive Diseases 25(1): 105-20. http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=17753344 

Authors: Pierre K. Alexandre, Michael T. French, Helen Matzger, Constance Weisner