Quebec minister may force skiers to wear helmets

People who ski and snowboard may be required to wear helmets on Quebec slopes as early as next year, according to the province's minister responsible for sports.

Sport and Leisure Minister Michelle Courchesne said Thursday that she is considering making helmets compulsory for some winter sports as early as next year.

On Thursday, the province's emergency room doctors appealed for a provincewide helmet law, saying that 60 per cent of head injuries sustained in winter sports could be avoided if skiers, boarders and tobogganers wore helmets.

Courchesne said she is already convinced children should wear them.

"I'm looking at it for sure for all of the kids from zero to 12 years old. It will be obligatory to wear those helmets," said Courchesne, speaking to reporters at a Liberal caucus meeting Thursday in Lvis, Que.

She went on to say, however, that a ban could be extended to everyone.

Doctors say helmets make a difference

In the last three years, two separate Quebec coroner's reports have called on Quebec ski hill operators to do more to encourage people of all ages to wear helmets.

'I think the law should go all the way and include everybody.' Nicolas Elazhary, emergency room doctor

Nicolas Elazhary, an emergency room doctor in Sherbrooke, said he has seen the difference helmets can make.

"Most cases I've seen personally, the head gear was either damaged or totally fine. Mostly, it did it's job," said Elazhary.

He said most children already wear helmets at alpine ski hills. He said it is the older skiers who need a push to better protect themselves.

"If we look at the population that is older than 25 years of age, only 50 per cent wear the helmets .I think the law should go all the way and include everybody," said Elazhary.

At a minimum, he said,all ski centres should make helmets available for rent.

Operators say helmets should be a choice

Ski hill operators in Quebec are less convinced of the value of a blanket law on helmet use.

The Quebec Association of Ski Hill Operators points to previous coroners' reports and a 2005 study published in the British Medical Journal which concluded that helmets do not necessarily save lives of people who wear them.

The association says people should be encouraged, not forced, to wear helmets.

Nevertheless, Courchesne said her office is consulting with the operators on the implementation and enforcement of a future law.

"If no one wears their helmet, do we close the centre? It could go probably that far," she said.

She hopes the details will be worked out by the next year.

"We are getting there," said Courchesne. "I'm quite positive about it.We'll finish these discussions within this year so next year we could have better rules."