A new study suggests alcohol-related health problems are on the rise and becoming more widespread across the population.

The study, published Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, examined alcohol-related emergency room visits in Ontario.

It found a dramatic rise, particularly among women and adults in their late 20s.

Alcohol-related ER visits by women increased by more than 86 per cent between 2003 and 2016. Visits by women aged 25 to 29 spiked by 240 per cent.

Doctors attribute changing social norms to the increases, saying women are catching up to men in their drinking habits. They also say targeted advertising at millennials could lead to increased alcohol consumption.

Although visits by men still account for a vast majority of alcohol-related stops at the emergency room, they rose by only 53 per cent during the period studied.