ED Visits, Hospitalizations for Alcohol, Cannabis Vary by Age

FRIDAY, Nov. 6, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Emergency department visits and hospitalizations related to alcohol or cannabis show diverging age patterns, according to a study published online Nov. 4 in the American Journal of Psychiatry.Jacob T. Steinle, M.D., from the Washington University (WashU) School of Medicine in St. Louis, and colleagues used the Merative MarketScan Commercial and Multi-State Medicaid databases (January 2016 to December 2023) to examine age-specific trends in alcohol- and cannabis-related emergency department and inpatient admissions. The analysis included 1.36 million individuals (age 16 to 64 years) with at least one substance-related acute care encounter (5.19 million encounters), excluding for nicotine.The researchers found that alcohol and cannabis exhibited divergent age patterns. Alcohol accounted for 19 to 26 percent of adolescent admissions (16 to 18 years), increasing to 73 to 76 percent among adults ages 55 to 64 years. Cannabis involvement, in contrast, was highest among adolescents (70 to 78 percent) and lowest among older adults (10 to 11 percent). Among adults ages 25 to 34 years, alcohol-related admissions increased significantly (1.80 percentage points [pp] annually); they also increased significantly among those 35 to 44 years old (1.19 pp annually). The most rapid cannabis-related admissions occurred among individuals ages 19 to 24 years (1.81 pp annually) and 16 to 18 years (0.83 pp annually). Cannabis-related trends were attenuated when restricted to primary diagnoses, with adolescents showing annual declines (−1.46 pp)."In general, we have seen that cannabis use is trending up and alcohol use is trending down; but until now, we haven't had high-quality data tracking what kind of use is causing immediate harm -- emergency room visits and hospitalizations," lead author Kevin Y. Xu, M.D., also from WashU, said in a statement. "Understanding age differences in high-risk use is critical for being able to offer effective and meaningful care for people at different life stages."One author disclosed financial ties to Tris Pharma.Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

ED Visits, Hospitalizations for Alcohol, Cannabis Vary by Age

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