Substance-Related ER Visits by Youth Increased From 2018 to 2023, With Cannabis Visits Nearly Doubling
Among 151,764 ER visits by 12-21 year olds across six urban hospitals, substance-related visits increased from 2.8% to 3.4%, with cannabis-related visits nearly doubling from 17.9% to 35.3% between 2018 and 2023.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Substance use-related ED visits increased from 2.8% to 3.4% (p < 0.001). Cannabis visits increased from 17.9% to 35.3% of substance-related visits across all age groups. Female visits increased from 43.4% to 52.4%. 19% had a substance-related return visit within one year.
Key Numbers
151,764 total ED visits; 4,556 (3.0%) substance-related; cannabis visits from 17.9% to 35.3%; female proportion from 43.4% to 52.4%; 19% revisit rate within one year.
How They Did This
Retrospective review of EHRs from six urban EDs identifying 12-21 year old patients with substance use-related visits (2018-2023) using ICD-10 codes.
Why This Research Matters
The near-doubling of cannabis-related ER visits among youth, combined with increases in younger age groups and female patients, signals a shifting landscape of youth substance use.
The Bigger Picture
Cannabis is becoming a larger share of youth substance-related emergencies while alcohol remains the most common. The increase among younger adolescents suggests changing patterns that require updated interventions.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Single urban healthcare system may not represent national trends. ICD-10 coding may undercount cannabis involvement.
Questions This Raises
- ?Is the increase in cannabis ER visits driven by higher potency products?
- ?Are ED-based interventions being adapted for the rising share of cannabis-related visits among youth?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Cannabis ER visits: 17.9% to 35.3% of youth substance visits in 5 years
- Evidence Grade:
- Multi-site EHR analysis with ICD-10 identification; limited to one urban system.
- Study Age:
- 2024 preprint with 2018-2023 data
- Original Title:
- Trends in Substance Use-related Emergency Department Visits by Youth, 2018-2023.
- Published In:
- medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences (2024)
- Authors:
- Renny, Madeline H(2), Stecher, Yago(2), Vargas-Torres, Carmen(2), Zebrowski, Alexis M, Merchant, Roland C
- Database ID:
- RTHC-05650
Evidence Hierarchy
Frequently Asked Questions
Are more young people going to the ER for cannabis?
Yes. Cannabis-related visits by 12-21 year olds nearly doubled from 17.9% to 35.3% of all substance-related visits between 2018 and 2023, with significant increases even among 12-14 year olds.
How often do youth return to the ER for substance use?
About 19% had another substance-related visit within one year, suggesting many are not receiving adequate follow-up care.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-05650APA
Renny, Madeline H; Stecher, Yago; Vargas-Torres, Carmen; Zebrowski, Alexis M; Merchant, Roland C. (2024). Trends in Substance Use-related Emergency Department Visits by Youth, 2018-2023.. medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.10.29.24316367
MLA
Renny, Madeline H, et al. "Trends in Substance Use-related Emergency Department Visits by Youth, 2018-2023.." medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.10.29.24316367
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Trends in Substance Use-related Emergency Department Visits ..." RTHC-05650. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/renny-2024-trends-in-substance-userelated
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.