The pandemic brought along a rise in alcohol and substance use and while that may not come as a surprise, what may be is that trend has continued.
University of Toronto’s Dr. Lisa Lefebvre says COVID-19 sped up the already growing concern surround substance abuse, but it’s the pressures people are seeing now post-pandemic that is keeping usage high.
Lefebvre says that crisis is finding its way to the ER because often times, there’s nowhere else to go.
Lefebvre says external pressures like the rise of food and housing costs have put more people on edge, looking for a way to escape.
