Alcohol as a Risk Factor for Downhill Skiing Trauma

Abstract

Alcohol does not seem to be a major etiological factor in skiing-related injuries.

Injury patterns and risk factors for orthopaedic trauma from snowboarding and skiing: a national perspective

“…The highest odds of increased injury severity were found for individuals who tested positive for alcohol or illegal substances. While alcohol and drug use during winter sports has been identified as risk factors for the occurrence of accidents [3, 16, 24, 26, 49, 54], this is one of the first studies to indicate that these accidents also are more severe. These results highlight the need for increased awareness and prevention of substance use among skiers and snowboarders.…”

Factors Associated with Alcohol Intake in Mountain Top Huts Among Slope Tourers

“…Schmid stated that in young adults aged 19-20 years, 62% of males and 32% of females consume alcohol [12]. In accordance, it has been reported that mean blood alcohol concentrations are significantly higher in a cohort of uninjured male skiers and snowboarders compared to uninjured female skiers and snowboarders [13].…”

“…However, to evaluate the impact of alcohol consumption on injury risk among winter sport participants, a case-control study design comparing the breath or blood alcohol levels of injured to uninjured persons would be necessary. Earlier studies using such a study design, however, found no significant differences with respect to mean blood alcohol concentration between injured and uninjured winter sport participants [13,15,16]. In contrast, Burtscher et al stated that alcohol consumption on the skiing day was a risk factor for falls in skiers and snowboarders [17].…”