Young adults around minimum legal drinking age incur more hospital care related to alcohol use

Date: Oct-17-2013According to a new study from the American Journal of Public Health, young adults of minimum legal drinking age incur increased hospital-based care for alcohol related incidents. In particular, young adults transitioning into this age showed increases in hospital events for alcohol-use disorders, suicides related to alcohol and assaults.

The Ontario based study analyzed inpatient and emergency department events of Ontario hospitals from April 1, 2002 through March 31, 2007 among individuals 16 to 22 years of age. The data was drawn from the Canadian Institute for Health Information's Hospital Morbidity Database and the National Ambulatory Care Reporting System. Ages were labeled in months and defined in terms of their relation to the minimum legal drinking age.

Results indicated an increase in hospital events for young adults transitioning into the minimum legal drinking age. Specifically, the study found a significant 11 percent increase in inpatient and emergency department admissions for alcohol-use disorders among individuals reaching this age.

"Given the ongoing international debates about the minimum legal drinking age, our study makes an important contribution by providing comprehensive, population-based estimates of the impact of the minimum legal drinking age on serious and costly alcohol-related health service use in hospital settings," the authors conclude.

Courtesy: Medical News Today Note: Any medical information available in this news section is not intended as a substitute for informed medical advice and you should not take any action before consulting with a health care professional.