Quote from: seoulbro post_id=372801 time=1595776562 user_id=114
VANCOUVER — All those hilarious boozing alone memes that cropped up during the pandemic lockdown may not be so funny in the long-term if policy-makers don't address harms associated with increased alcohol consumption, say experts.



According to a new study



released by the Canadian Journal of Public Health,



there is a strong correlation between exposure to mass traumatic events and increased alcohol consumption and related harms both in the short term and for one to two years after a crisis. However, there is limited evidence available for policy-makers, and this has researchers worried.



Provinces across Canada took different approaches to regulating alcohol and relaxing restrictions during the pandemic.



Most provinces, with the exception of Prince Edward Island, quickly declared liquor retailers an essential service.



But when P.E.I. attempted to close liquor stores during the initial phase of the lockdown, the public outcry forced officials to reverse that decision.



Erin Hobin, a scientist at Public Health Ontario and co-author of the study, said there was no clear, co-ordinated national guidance for how best to control alcohol during the pandemic, but suggested that a study of how different jurisdictions handled relaxations and restrictions may provide information for better evidence-based policies in the future.



"There are a lot of factors that need to be considered when making decisions about how best to control alcohol during a pandemic," said Hobin.



"Keeping alcohol retailers open and deeming them an essential service during the pandemic was generally supported by health experts and substance use disorder specialists because people living with alcohol dependence need to have access to alcohol to avoid serious consequences of withdrawal," said Hobin.



"However, if alcohol retailers are deemed an essential service is that signalling to the public that alcohol is an essential commodity or product?"



In April, the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and



Addiction study found 25 per cent of Canadians between the ages of 35 and 54 reported an increase in the amount of alcohol they drank during isolation.



Cheyenne Johnson, an addiction specialist with the B.C. Centre on Substance Use, said that in B.C. in particular the recognition of the health impacts of excessive alcohol use often take a back seat due to the continuing drug overdose crisis.



"We need to ensure there is access to alcohol for those with severe alcohol use disorders, but there are good things we could do with restricting alcohol availability," said Johnson.



"The harmful effects of alcohol, the cost to society, morbidity and mortality far outweigh illicit drugs in the long term."



Johnson said health-care providers need to be more proactive in helping their clients understand Canada's low-risk drinking guidelines, that recommend no more than 10 drinks a week for women, and no more than 15 drinks a week for men.



Hobin said she hopes that by looking at alcohol sales, consumptions and harms during the pandemic, and comparing outcomes in different jurisdictions scientists can better understand how different approaches could minimize alcohol-related harms, and provide evidence for policy-makers.



"There may be room to reconsider what our responses look like in Canada going forward. We've had some time to learn from the first four months, now it's time to analyze the data."