Teens, Booze and E-Scooters: A Rising Threat as Injuries Crowd ERs [Video]

Key Takeaways

Rates of ER visits involving injuries from e-scooters and e-bikes tripled in the United States between 2019 and 2022Young men and teens were most likely to be victims, and injuries to the head and legs were most commonToo often, alcohol or other drugs contributed to the injury

TUESDAY, Dec. 10, 2024 (HealthDay News) — Inebriated e-scooter and e-bike users, many of them teens, are increasingly showing up in the nation’s emergency rooms, new research shows.

Overall, rates of injuries from these “micromobility” devices have tripled in recent years — from close to 23,000 in 2019 to nearly 66,000 by 2022, the new study found.

Alcohol use was a factor in many of the injuries, and rates of use were highest among teens and college-age males, reported a team from North Dakota State University, in Fargo.

Driving while intoxicated is a crime even when the vehicle is an e-scooter, so “there …