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Although CIHI looked at hospitalizations directly caused by alcohol, trauma surgeons see many more patients requiring treatment for injuries associated with alcohol use, said Dr. Jacinthe Lampron, medical trauma director at The Ottawa Hospital.

Despite public campaigns, the hospital still sees patients with injuries that result from drunk driving as well as other injuries related to impairment, she said, including ATV injuries, boating injuries, falls and more.

More than 50 per cent of people being treated for trauma have some form of impairment, she said. And numbers are highest in the summer. “We call it trauma season.”

Among other things, it found that men over the age of 20 are more likely to be hospitalized for conditions entirely caused by alcohol than women. These gender differences mirror drinking patterns.

Among children between 10 and 19, however, more girls than boys are hospitalized for alcohol.

Dr. Sinthuja Suntharalingam, child and adolescent psychiatrist at CHEO, noted that females are more predisposed to anxiety and depression during adolescence than males.

“We have more females admitted for mental health reasons.” That likely translates to more young females self medicating with alcohol and other substances, she said.

Across Canada, an average of six children and youth were hospitalized per day due to alcohol.

At CHEO, alcohol harm as a reason for hospitalization among children is declining, she said, with cannabis and opioid use on the rise.

The Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse published Canada’s low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidelines to help reduce long-term health risks from alcohol, including chronic illnesses such as cancer, liver cirrhosis, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. In 2015, there were 5,082 alcohol-attributable deaths in Canada, according to a recent study.

Health officials advise no more than 10 drinks a week for women, with no more than two drinks a day at most, and 15 drinks a week for men, with no more than three drinks a day.

epayne@postmedia.com