Substance-Related ER Visits by Youth Increased From 2018 to 2023, With Cannabis Visits Nearly Doubling | Research

The takeaway

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.

Emergency physicians, pediatricians, youth substance use researchers, public health officials

Cannabis ER visits: 17.9% to 35.3% of youth substance visits in 5 years

What the researchers 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.

Why it 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 numbers in context

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 the study worked

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.

What this study cannot tell us

Single urban healthcare system may not represent national trends. ICD-10 coding may undercount cannabis involvement.

How to read the evidence

Multi-site EHR analysis with ICD-10 identification; limited to one urban system.

When this study was published

2024 preprint with 2018-2023 data

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.

Questions still open

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?

Common 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.

Read the original research

Trends in Substance Use-related Emergency Department Visits by Youth, 2018-2023.

medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

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