Ski-Related ER Visits Are Up 50% In California; LA News Outlets Blame Weed, Alcohol, and Selfie Sticks

March 29, 2024

According to data from the California Department of Health Care Access and Information, ski-related ER visits in California rose 50 percent between 2016 and 2022. However, the number of people hitting the slopes remained mostly the same throughout that period. According to the Times, some 6,000 people went from the slopes to an emergency room in 2022.

So, what’s the root of the problem here?  According to the LA Times and local tv news station KTLA, it’s all the weed, alcohol (Fireball whiskey, to be exact), and selfie sticks running rampant on our slopes. To test this hypothesis, KTLA turned to the age-old sociological research method of asking people over 50 for anecdotal evidence. The Inertia