People have long turned to alcohol and drugs as a method of escape and it’s not surprising that when COVID-19 lockdowns arrived more people found themselves exploring those avenues.
The restrictions amplified an already growing trend of substance abuse, which is compounded by a variety of factors including the mental health crisis.
University of Toronto’s Dr. Lisa Lefebvre says that crisis is finding its way to the ER because often times, there’s nowhere else to go.
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.
