The best way to stop doing something may be to start doing something else in its place. For those of us who have struggled with addiction, we know just how easy it is to confuse addictive behavior with habit. In most cases, addictions start off as habits before moving into destructive territory. Separating the two […]
The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic caused a 25% spike in alcohol-related deaths, which had already been increasing by 2% each year, according to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). While the stress of the pandemic was a clear contributor, The New York Times reports that some states made it easier for consumers to access alcohol during lockdown seasons, increasing the likelihood of heavy drinking.
As alcohol abuse problems haunt communities across the US, lawmakers explore ways to combat the alcohol crisis brought on by the pandemic.