Effects of the Minimum Legal Drinking Age on Alcohol-Related Health Service Use in Hospital Settings in Ontario

A Regression–Discontinuity Approach

Bibliographic Data

ID11028007
AuthorsRussell C Callaghan (0000-0002-0347-1153, Russell C. Callaghan is with the Northern Medical Program, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Ontario. Marcos Sanches is with the Biostatistical Consulting Unit, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario. Jodi M. Gatley is with the Human Brain Laboratory, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario and the Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto,...), Marcos Sanches (0000-0001-9075-1761, Russell C. Callaghan is with the Northern Medical Program, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Ontario. Marcos Sanches is with the Biostatistical Consulting Unit, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario. Jodi M. Gatley is with the Human Brain Laboratory, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario and the Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto,...), Jodi M Gatley (0000-0001-8366-8214, Russell C. Callaghan is with the Northern Medical Program, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Ontario. Marcos Sanches is with the Biostatistical Consulting Unit, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario. Jodi M. Gatley is with the Human Brain Laboratory, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario and the Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto,...), James K Cunningham (0000-0001-7747-5969, Russell C. Callaghan is with the Northern Medical Program, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, British Columbia and the Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Ontario. Marcos Sanches is with the Biostatistical Consulting Unit, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario. Jodi M. Gatley is with the Human Brain Laboratory, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario and the Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto,...)
Year2013
Volume103
Issue12
Pages2284-2291
Publication date2013-12-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueAmerican Journal of Public Health (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0090-0036 • E-ISSN: 1541-0048
PublisherAmerican Public Health Association (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.2105/ajph.2013.301320
PMID24134361
PMCIDPMC3828963
OpenAlexW2054722714
LanguageEN
Citations received7
References cited33

Objectives. We assessed the impact of the minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) on hospital-based treatment for alcohol-related conditions or events in Ontario, Canada. Methods. We conducted regression–discontinuity analyses to examine MLDA effects with respect to diagnosed alcohol-related conditions. Data were derived from administrative records detailing inpatient and emergency department events in Ontario from April 2002 to March 2007. Results. Relative to youths slightly younger than the MLDA, youths just older than the MLDA exhibited increases in inpatient and emergency department events associated with alcohol-use disorders (10.8%; P = .048), assaults (7.9%; P Conclusions. Young adults gaining legal access to alcohol incur increases in hospital-based care for a range of serious alcohol-related conditions. Our regression–discontinuity approach can be used in future studies to assess the effects of the MLDA across different settings, and our estimates can be used to inform cost-benefit analyses across MLDA scenarios

Alcohol intoxication · Emergency department · Environmental health · Injury prevention · Medical emergency · Occupational safety and health · Poison control · Psychiatry · Suicide prevention · Alcohol Consumption and Health Effects · Demography · Homelessness and Social Issues · Human Factors and Ergonomics · Medicine · Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes

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