Alcohol responsible for more than 7,000 emergency department visits every year in Simcoe Muskoka: Health unit

Alcohol is being poured into a glass. (File)

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit has released its April findings on alcohol use in the region and the numbers are staggering.

Alcohol use is responsible for roughly 7,665 emergency department visits, 840 hospitalizations and 275 deaths every year in Simcoe Muskoka, according to the health unit.

As of 2025, research shows Simcoe Muskoka has a total of 480 retail outlets that sell alcohol. That’s the equivalent of around 8 retailers for every 10,000 residents older than 15, which is four times higher than what is recommended for best practices. More than three quarters of those 480 outlets are grocery and convenience stores.

The findings also show the average number of people who drink alcohol in Simcoe Muskoka is significantly higher than the provincial average. In our region, 80 per cent of adults drank in the past year, while the average for Ontario was 75 per cent.

Furthermore, research says one in three adults had more than two drinks per week, which is more than what Health Canada recommends. While zero is the healthiest option, experts say one to two drinks per week offers a low risk of alcohol-related consequences like cancer or heart disease.

The health unit says all of these findings are to help inform and support municipal decision-makers when creating policies surrounding alcohol use.

Officials say alcohol is the substance used most across the province, beating out tobacco and opioids. Over recent years, the province has made access to alcohol more available including allowing municipalities to permit alcohol in public spaces like parks. Research continually shows when alcohol becomes more easily available to people, they will drink more, in turn, leading to alcohol-related incidents. The health unit says when there’s alcohol in public spaces, it can also start to normalize drinking. When young people see adults taking part in drinking in public spaces, they are more likely to partake, according to the health unit’s findings.

The SMDHU says the best way to reduce alcohol-related problems is to put policies in place that limit access to alcohol.