KB News Desk
South Korea has seen a sharp increase in the share of teens and people in their 20s receiving emergency medical care for intoxication involving medications, gases and other toxic substances, a government report showed Wednesday.
Of 98,615 people who visited emergency rooms for injuries in 2025, 6,816 were treated for intoxication, according to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency. Those in their 20s accounted for 18.1 percent of intoxication patients, the highest share of any age group, followed by teenagers at 15.8 percent.
Those aged 10-29 accounted for 33.9 percent of intoxication patients, nearly doubling from 16.9 percent in 2015. The share of teenagers in particular nearly tripled from 5.6 percent in 2015 to 15.8 percent last year.
Some 69.4 percent of intoxication cases involved intentional use of the substance. Suicide attempts accounted for 58.5 percent of intoxication cases, making them the most common cause, followed by accidents at 26.1 percent and treatment-related cases at 4.1 percent.
In 66.7 percent of the cases, the intoxication involved medications used for treatment, followed by gases at 11.5 percent, synthetic toxic substances at 10 percent and pesticides at 9.4 percent. The share of medication-related intoxication has risen steadily from 44.9 percent in 2015.
“The results show the need for continued attention to mental health management and the safe use of medications among adolescents and young adults,” the KDCA said.
Overall, falls were the leading cause of emergency room visits for injuries, accounting for 40 percent, followed by transportation-related accidents at 15.5 percent and blunt trauma at 14.8 percent. The share of injuries caused by falls has risen steadily from 29.6 percent in 2015.
