5,000-plus Canadians seriously hurt in snow sports
Posted January 17, 2012 2:06 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
While hockey hits causing concussion have been getting a lot of attention, a new report says injuries from skiing and snowboarding mishaps put far more Canadians in hospital each year.
The Canadian Institute for Health Information says more than 2,300 Canadians were admitted to hospital in 2010-2011 after a skiing or snowboarding fall or crash.
That compares with 1,114 hockey-related hospitalizations.
In all, more than 5,600 Canadians of all ages ended up in hospital with serious injuries related to winter sports, including ice skating, snowmobiling and tobogganing.
Greg Webster, director of primary health care information for the institute, says these figures don’t include people treated in hospital emergency departments or doctors’ offices, or deaths at the scene of the injury.
Canadians aged 10 to 19 — the vast majority of them boys — accounted for half of all hospitalizations for hockey injuries and almost one-third of skiing and snowboarding crashes.
“There is a lot to enjoy about Canadian winters, but safety and precautions are important across all age groups,” says Webster. “Every year, more than 5,000 Canadians get seriously injured — requiring at least one night’s hospital stay — due to a winter sport or recreational activity.”
