During the pandemic, many people faced obstacles, fears, and losses. Experts warned that the isolation and lack of resources for mental health would take a toll. There is a broader picture of how people used substances to cope during the pandemic. A study conducted by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism found a 25.5% increase in drinking-related deaths.

Research has also revealed that 74,408 people in America under the age of 65 died in 2020 due to drinking. Starkly, this is more people than killed by the pandemic in 2020.

Why Did Alcohol Consumption Increase?

The pandemic added stresses that most people were unprepared emotionally or financially to cope with. People experienced death, job loss, loneliness, anxiety, and depression. Many people who may not have previously abused substances may have turned to them to cope. Drinking is one of the most socially-acceptable addictions, so it’s not a surprise that it has increased.

Many people drank simply to let go of stress or “find an outlet.” When no one knew how long the pandemic would last, many people gave up on activities or hobbies. For some, there was a void left in their lives in addition to the loneliness and boredom.

Consequences of Increased Alcohol Abuse

Addiction is never pretty, and even during a pandemic, it became apparent to Emergency Rooms that people weren’t coping well with uncertainty. In addition to alcohol-related deaths, ER doctors saw an increase in poisonings and alcohol-withdrawal-related visits. Moreover, mixed drug overdoses such drinking with opioids led to overdose. (Older data suggested the number of opioid overdose deaths increased 38% in the same period.)

Alcohol-related deaths are often from overdoses. However, there are thousands of alcohol-related accidents take every year in America, too.

Alcohol addiction can have tragic consequences. For example, people from all walks of life and various age groups drank more more during the pandemic. Unfortunately, addiction disorders do not discriminate.

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