Intoxication-related ER visits surge among teens, young adults

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 grou