News @ a glance
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**Birth rates:** Canada's crude birth rate declined to a record low in 2004, with just 10.5 live births for every 1000 people, according to Statistics Canada's annual projection. It marked the second straight decrease in the number of live births, from a 10.6 rate in 2003. The statistics also indicate a continuation of a long-term trend toward giving birth later in life; in 2003, the average woman was 29.6 years old, in 2004, the average was 29.7. Births to mothers aged 35 and older are now almost 4 times as frequent as they were a generation ago, accounting for 17.2% of births in 2004, as opposed to 4.6% a quarter century earlier.

![Figure1](http://www.cmaj.ca/https://www.cmaj.ca/content/cmaj/175/8/862.2/F1.medium.gif)

[Figure1](http://www.cmaj.ca/content/175/8/862.2/F1)

Figure. Photo by: Comstock

**Head injuries:** Although seatbelts and helmets appear to have helped reduce hospital admissions due to traumatic head injury over the last decade, particularly among youths, under age 19, and people over 60, people in these age groups remain at greatest risk of requiring head injury hospitalization because of falls, motor vehicle crashes or recreational mishaps, according to a new Canadian Institute for Health Information report ([www.cihi.ca](http://www.cihi.ca)). Overall, 35% fewer Canadians were admitted to hospital for head injury in 2003–2004 (16 811), as compared to 25 665 in 1994–95. But Canadians under age 19 still account for 30% of all head injury hospitalizations, followed by 29% among those 60 and older. Falls (45%) are the leading cause of traumatic head injury, followed by motor vehicle incidents (36%), assault (9%), and sports and recreational activities (8%). Falls and sports activities cause more hospitalizations among youths and seniors, while motor vehicle crashes, assault and homicide play a greater role in hospitalizations among those aged 20–39.

**Go North:** The Yukon government is offering eligible new family physicians up to $50 000 to practise in the territory. The Family Physician Incentive Program for New Graduates, part of the territory's $12.7-million health human resources strategies, will give eligible candidates $20 000 when they move, $20 000 after two years and $10 000 at the end of the fourth year.

**Youth and tobacco:** The number of youths (grades 5 through 9) trying tobacco products decreased by 50% between 1994 and 2004–05. Health Canada's *2004–05 Youth Smoking Survey* reports that 21% of youths have experimented with these products (cigarettes, cigars or pipes, bidis, chewing tobacco and snuff). Cigarettes was the most common product tried (19%). Two percent reported being smokers, compared with 7% in 1994. In contrast, 63% of youths had tried alcohol, compared with 54% in 2002. — Compiled by Barbara Sibbald, *CMAJ*