Alcohol-related deaths rose 18 per cent during pandemic: report – CTV

by tmnationtalk on February 4, 202542 Views

February 03, 2025

TORONTO — Alcohol-related deaths rose about 18 per cent during the pandemic, according to a study that points to the harm of making liquor more available at a time of increased vulnerability.

Researchers with the Public Health Agency of Canada compared alcohol-related deaths and hospitalizations before and after the pandemic, finding 1,600 more deaths than expected.

They also found hospitalizations jumped eight per cent, with an even higher increase of about 14 per cent in 2020 and 2021.

This happened as alcohol retail sales saw the highest increase in a decade – despite an absence of tourists in Canada. The study says provinces designating alcohol as “essential” and allowing liquor stores to remain open during lockdowns while making it easy to access with home delivery, could have undermined public health messaging about its harms.

Lead author Dr. Yipu Shi says these findings confirm the harm of drinking more alcohol, which may be attributed to increases of stress, boredom and worsening mental health during the pandemic.

Read more: https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/article/alcohol-related-deaths-rose-18-per-cent-during-pandemic-report/

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