Ontario sees nearly 10 per cent drop in sports-related traumatic brain injuries in same year Rowan’s Law introduced: study – CTV
September 24, 2025
A new report suggests that Ontario saw an almost 10 per cent drop in sports-related brain injuries following the introduction of Rowan’s Law, legislation named in honour of Ottawa teen and rugby player Rowan Stringer who died from Second Impact Syndrome in 2013.
The study, which was released Wednesday, found that between 2018 and 2019, Ontario saw a nine per cent drop in sports-related traumatic injuries.
“Although our study wasn’t designed to investigate the impact of this public health policy change, the… reduction in sports related traumatic brain injuries resulting in hospital care between 2016-2017 and 2018-2019, coinciding with the introduction of Rowan’s Law is noteworthy and definitely warrants further investigation,” Dr. Jesse Young, a researcher with the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and lead author of the study, said in a news release issued Wednesday.
The study was commissioned by the Concussion Legacy Foundation Canada (CLFC) in partnership with CAMH and received funding from the Ontario’s Ministry of Sport.
According to the report, sports and recreational-related brain injuries are “significantly more prevalent” than previously thought.
