CMAJ Study Reveals Alcohol Related Deaths Jump 18% During Pandemic
Alcohol-related deaths increased 18% during the pandemic, as did hospitalizations related to alcohol use, according to new research in Canadian Medical Association Journal
To understand the effect of changing patterns of alcohol use during the pandemic, researchers looked at deaths and hospitalizations between 2016 and 2022, comparing a prepandemic period and a pandemic period. They found that deaths from alcohol use increased about 18% over the 3-year period, with higher increases mainly in 2020 and 2021 (about 24%), resulting in 1600 more deaths than expected. Alcohol-related hospitalizations also increased 8% over the pandemic period studied, with higher increases (about 14%) in 2020/21.
There were regional variations, with the highest increases in deaths in the Prairie provinces (28%) and in British Columbia (24%), excess rates 3 times higher than in Ontario and the Atlantic provinces, and 6–7 times higher than in Quebec. Hospitalizations were also higher in the Prairies and especially in the territories. Younger adults had the highest increases in both excess deaths (age 25–44 yr) and hospitalizations (age 15–44 yr).
Deaths and hospitalizations were largely due to alcoholic liver disease (ALD) and alcohol use disorder (AUD). As increases in hospitalizations were 3 times higher in females, the authors suggest this could be an early warning of future liver-related disease in this group.
Increased alcohol consumption may have been driven by stress, boredom, deteriorating mental health, and other factors, including easier access to alcohol.
“Our findings highlight the importance of timely interventions to prevent high-risk drinking from developing into alcohol use disorder or alcoholic liver disease. A comprehensive approach to preventing and managing high-risk drinking, alcohol use disorder, and alcoholic liver disease in the aftermath of the pandemic should comprise both public health and clinical management interventions,” the authors conclude.
Reference: Mortality and hospitalizations fully attributable to alcohol use before versus during the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, Yipu Shi, Kathryn Macrae, Margaret de Groh, Wendy Thompson, Tim Stockwell, CMAJ Feb 2025, 197 (4) E87-E95; DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.241146
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