Researchers discover that alcohol puts more people in emergencies

According to local medical researchers, emergency visits to alcohol-related hospitals are increasing, especially among women and people under 20 years of age.

The study was led by researchers from the Institute of Clinical Evaluation Services, the Ottawa Hospital, the Bruyère Research Institute and the University of Ottawa. 39, University of Ottawa. The researchers reviewed 13 years of data on emergency room visits in Ontario between 2003 and 2016. Their findings were published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

During the study period, visits to alcohol – related emergency rooms increased four times faster than the overall rate of emergency department visits.

"We found that the number of alcohol-related emergency visits was increasing rapidly in Ontario," said Dr. Daniel Myran, senior author, family physician and resident in public health and medicine. Preventative at the University of Ottawa, which is also following training at the University of Ottawa. Hospital and Bruyère Research Institute. "These increases are consistent with data showing an increase in average weekly alcohol consumption in Ontario and higher rates of excessive alcohol consumption over the period of the study, particularly at home. women from across Canada. "

Young adults between the ages of 25 and 29 recorded a 175% increase (27.2 visits per 10,000 people, compared with 74.9 visits out of 10,000). The researchers also found an 86% increase in the number of alcohol-related emergency visits among women (from 20.7 visits to 38.6 visits per 10,000 people), compared to an increase of 53% for men (from 51.1 to 78.3 visits per 10,000 people). ).

Alcohol-related emergency room visits among women were more likely to occur at the age when they reached the legal drinking age, while the rate of emergency visits was higher. the highest among men, related to alcohol, was in their fifties.

The data comes from the time the Ford government began to expand access to alcohol in Ontario.

The researchers said that health problems and the burden of alcohol on the health system had increased in Ontario and had disproportionately affected women and young adults. They urge policymakers to consider scaling up interventions to reduce the harmful use of alcohol, particularly among women and young adults.