News and opinion A-Z
2022
Alcohol Health Alliance Blog: Alcohol treatment services during and after lockdown: Building back better
Australian Health and Welfare Institute Media Release: COVID-19 restrictions saw alcohol and other drug treatment service providers adapt
BBC Wales News: Covid lockdowns normalised harmful drinking, medic says
British Journal of Hospital Medicine: The COVID-19 hangover: why we need to take harm caused by alcohol seriously as an indirect effect of the pandemic – editorial
Drug and Alcohol Review: Home drinking during and post-COVID-19: Why the silence on domestic violence? A Commentary
DrugScience Blog: The Post COVID cathinone hydra
EMCDDA: Latest European Web Survey on Drugs finds cannabis and ecstasy use most impacted by COVID-19
Everyday Society (BSA) Drinking without Thinking? Exploring the accessibility and availability of alcohol during the COVID-19 pandemic click here
Government Statistical Service: Tobacco trends: how changes to surveys during the pandemic affected smoking estimates – blog
I.Opinion from Dr Punam Krishan :I’m seeing more and more patients with lockdown drinking habits they can’t shake off click here
Independent: Do cannabis plants prevent Covid infection? New research suggests they could
Institute of Alcohol Studies (IAS) Blog : 2021 alcohol consumption and harm: no signs of a ‘return to normal’
International Journal of Drug Policy: Response to “COVID-19 economic impact payments and opioid overdose deaths” letter
Irish Medical Journal: The impact of COVID-19 on alcohol consumption. Letter
Medical Express: ‘Years of life lost’ to unintentional drug overdose in adolescents spikes during pandemic‘
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners newsGP: Has COVID-19 changed Australia’s alcohol consumption?
The Conversation: Heavy drinkers increased their alcohol consumption the most during lockdown – new research
The Guardian: Lockdown drinking increase could cause 25,000 excess deaths in England article
The Irish News: Alcohol used as ‘coping mechanism’ during lockdown as deaths from the drug soar
The Medical Independent: Drinking patters in the pandemic click here
2021
AP News: How COVID pandemic changed methadone treatment for addiction
Addiction Journal: COVID-19 vaccination among socially vulnerable people who use drugs – Letter
Alcohol Change UK blog, Professor Sarah Galvani explains some of the research challenges posed by lockdown for research into end-of-life care for people using substances
Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina: Smokers keep smoking, even as perceptions of COVID-19 risk and severity increase
BBC News Isle of Man – Covid: Pandemic alcohol abuse linked to depression rise
BBC Scotland : Covid in Scotland: More ambulance calls to lockdown home drinking
BMJ Opinion: The US’s emergency response to covid-19 provides a roadmap for the opioid overdose crisis
BMJ Blog by Ian Hamilton: Alcohol related deaths are on the rise, but we remain a nation in denial
‘Bostonia’ Boston University Alumni Magazine: Alcohol Consumption Has Spiked during the Pandemic. Could the Consequences Outlast the Coronavirus?
Calgary Herald: Canada’s hidden crisis: How COVID-19 overshadowed the worst year on record for overdose deaths
Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health: COVID-19 lockdown linked to uptick in tobacco use
Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA): The Behavioral and Biological Effects of Alcohol and COVID-19 NIAAA Guest Blog
Drink and Drug News: Half of Scots drinking more during pandemic
Filter Magazine US: One Year into COVID, Methadone Deliveries Show the Way Forward
Flinders University COVID-19 lockdowns increase meth exposure risks
Forward Trust : National survey reports a surge in alcohol and gambling problems during the pandemic
FRANCE24: Covid-19 pandemic accelerates ‘uberisation’ of drug market in France
Frontiers in Psychiatry – Opinion Article : Responding to COVID-19: emerging practices in addiction medicine in 17 countries
Independent News: Covid lockdowns may have changed the way we drink alcohol for ever, from solo drinking to the new sobriety; long reads
Independent Voices – Ian Hamilton: The Covid-19 pandemic has meant changes to the drug market and our habits – be careful this summer
Institute of Alcohol Studies blog: The COVID-19 Pandemic in the US, sheltering-in-place and university students: A cautionary tale of loneliness and drinking to cope
Irish Examiner: Long-term impact of Covid-19 on drug and alcohol addiction unclear, report warns
ITV News (West Country): Bristol researchers reveal online gambling soared during lockdown
ITV News: Covid: Click-and-collect ends and alcohol banned outdoors in parts of Scotland
Medical Express: How the COVID pandemic made the opioid epidemic worse, even as telehealth helped
MedicalXpress: Study reveals changes in cigarette smoking during the COVID-19 pandemic
MedPage Today: Pandemic Drinking Took Swift Toll on the Gut, Liver — Alcohol-related inpatient consults soared, remained high even after reopening – meeting report
Movendi International:“Swimming Against the Social Tide”? – Lockdowns and the Sober Curious Movement – blog
New York Times: Excessive Drinking Rose during the Pandemic. Here Are Ways to Cut Back.
New York Times: ‘Relapsing Left and Right’: Trying to Overcome Addiction in a Pandemic
News Medical Life Sciences: Survey of smokers and vapers in the U.S. during COVID
NSPCC : Contacts to the NSPCC about drug and alcohol misuse among parents soar during the pandemic
Netherlands Times: Less party drugs, more weed used in first Covid lockdown
Policy Options Politiques: COVID-19 shows us why Canada needs a federal alcohol act
Recovery Review USA Blog: Addiction Professionals in the Pandemic
SAMHSA Press Release: Data show COVID’s impact on nation’s mental health, substance use
The Commonwealth Fund Blog: The Spike in Drug Overdose Deaths During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Policy Options to Move Forward
The Conversation: Alcohol deaths up almost 19% during the pandemic – the greatest increase since 2001
The Conversation: If you’re drinking or betting more in lockdown, you’re not alone. But watch for these signs of addiction
The Drinks Business (Asian Edition) South Koreans have drunk more frequently during the pandemic
The Guardian: US saw 100,000 drug overdose deaths in one year amid pandemic, CDC says
The Independent: I’m seeing more alcoholics in A&E than ever – I fear a year of lockdowns and loss is to blame.
The Journal.IE How Covid-19 changed drug crime in Ireland
United Nations Office Drugs and Crime (UNODC):Data on the Impact of COVID-19 on Drug Markets Presented on the Sidelines of the CND
University College London: Over a third have changed their drinking habits over the past year
University of Aberdeen: Opioid use for pain relief increased as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic
University of East Anglia: COVID-19: People drank more alcohol, exercised less and ate less healthily during first lockdown
University of Kansas Addiction researchers recount how they made recovery meetings available remotely during pandemic
University of Stirling: new study questions whether pubs can effectively and consistently prevent COVID-19 transmission risks
Vice: Meth Use is on the rise in Southeast Asia – And COVID is to blame
Washington University in St Louis : Cannabis use disorder: another COVID risk factor
WHO supports people quitting tobacco to reduce their risk of severe COVID-19: news item.
WSOC-TV (USA): Did COVID-19 stress, uncertainty stall anti-smoking push?
Yale Insights: How COVID Has Worsened the Opioid Epidemic
2020
Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) COVID-19 drives ‘astonishing’ quit rate among young smokers: Experts ask if trend will survive loosening lockdown
ADFAM Blog: England returns to lockdown: challenges facing the family support sector
ADFAM Blog Adapting our support to families affected by a parent’s alcohol dependency in Swindon
Addiction journal editorial: mitigating and learning from the impact of COVID‐19 infection on addictive disorders: click here
Alcohol and Drug Foundation Australia: Campaign to combat Covid drinking
Alcohol Change UK: Over half of UK drinkers have turned to alcohol for mental health: reasons during pandemic press release
Alcohol Change UK blog: drinking during lockdown headline findings: New research reveals UK drinking habits: click here
Alcohol Change UK: changing your drinking in lockdown: be kind to yourself
Alcohol Change UK blog: Drinking to cope? Stress, boredom and alcohol use during COVID-19 lockdown
Alcohol Health Alliance UK blog: With more people seeking support for alcohol-related issues since the lockdown, the government must be prepared for the after effects.
Alcohol Health Alliance UK blog: Alcohol and COVID-19: why now is the time to tackle alcohol harm
Annals of Internal Medicine, when epidemics collide: COVID-19 and the opioid crisis: click here
BBC Worklife: The impact of banning alcohol during Covid-19
Bloomberg: Covid-19 Spurs Rise in Cigarette Smuggling, Japan Tobacco Says
BMJ blog by Ian Hamilton about the harms for vulnerable people: click here
BMJ blog by Ian Hamilton: Is alcohol really “essential” during covid-19? click here
BMJ blog ‘Covid-19 and addiction—a secret burden during this pandemic’: click here
BMJ blog: COVID-19 – we must take urgent action to avoid an increase in problem gambling and gambling related harms: click here
BMJ blog reducing alcohol harm during self-isolation needs a measured approach
BMJ blog: Sharon Cox asks how we are assisting our most disadvantaged during COVID-19? click here
BMJ blog on the role of smoking cessation during respiratory virus epidemics: click here
BMJ blog on water-pipes and tobacco: click here
BMJ editorials Covid-19 and alcohol—a dangerous cocktail
BMJ Feature: The US covid pandemic has a sinister shadow—drug overdoses
BMJ Tobacco Control blog about smoking and COVID-19: click here
BMJ Tobacco Control blog on smokeless tobacco use and the COVID-19 pandemic Dr Arjun Singh and Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi: click here
BMJ Tobacco Control blog: Smoking history is an important risk factor for severe COVID-19: click here
BMJ Tobacco Control blog: the two faces of the tobacco industry during the COVID-19 pandemic
BMJ Tobacco Control editorial: Carpe covid: using COVID-19 to communicate about harms of tobacco products
BMJ Tobacco Control editorial: the tobacco industry in the time of COVID-19 – time to shut it down?
Canadian Centre of Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) Canadians Under 54 Drinking More While at Home Due to COVID-19 Pandemic: click here
Canberra Times: will COVID-19 change our drinking habits long term? click here
Centre for Aging Better: Alcohol and ageing well in a time of lockdown-blog
Club Soda: drinking and wellbeing in lockdown – findings from survey
Collective Voice Blog: Two months into lockdown, what have we learned so far?
Drink and Drugs News : The lockdown may be having a disproportionate effect on female service users, warns Gordon Hay.
Drinking Studies Network’s blog by Phil Cain explores how approaches to COVID-19 put our approach to alcohol under the microscope
Drinking Studies Network: does COVID-19 mean alcohol is now considered a drug? click here
Drinking Studies Network: from Ebola to COVID-19. Is all nicotine bad nicotine? An epidemiologist’s reflections: click here
Drug Reporter: Surviving the COVID-19 Era: Stories of People Who Use Drugs from Russia, Ukraine and Norway
Forbes article about US treatment services: click here
Ghana News: The Institute of Leadership and Development (INSLA), a civil society organization has called on the Government to reject any support from the tobacco industry and its affiliates in the management, control, and treatment of COVID-19 in Ghana.
Global Drug Survey: COVID-19 Conversations with Prof. Alison Ritter from University of New South Wales, Sydney – video: click here
Health and Social Care Alliance Scotland Gambling Education Hub delivers during COVID-19 case study
Huffington Post UK Opinion: Has The Coronavirus Pandemic Killed Social Smoking?
Ian Hamilton shares some information from Alcohol Change UK’s survey which provides insights alcohol consumption during Covid-19
Independent: The tobacco industry is trying to get cigarettes classified as an ‘essential’ item during lock-down: click here
Independent: : Coronavirus and drug addiction are both a public health crisis – but only one is being taken seriously – Ian Hamilton -Voices
Independent Eire: More spent on alcohol despite Covid-19 closure of pubs as people switch from beer to wine
Institute of Alcohol Studies Blog COVID-19 and alcohol – consumption data strengthens case for ambitious alcohol policy
International Journal of Drug Policy – Participation of the nursing workforce to address COVID-19 among people who use alcohol, tobacco, and drugs Viewpoint
Involve Blog Learning how to listen in a pandemic
JAMA Psychiatry Telehealth for Substance-Using Populations in the Age of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Recommendations to Enhance Adoption –Viewpoint
Journal of General Internal Medicine Viewpoint: Alcohol and COVID-19: How Do We Respond to This Growing Public Health Crisis?
Mental Elf Blog: Cheers Covid-19: Will we consume more alcohol during this crisis? click here
Mental Health Today Blog Prof Julia Sinclair –Covid-19 is an addiction crisis – we need a better funded and integrated care service
Movendi Blog Lockdown Stories: Bearing Witness to Children from Families with Parental Alcohol Problems
Movendi blog: Scotland and COVID-19: Rising Alcohol Harm and Lack of Services Fuel Vicious Cycle
Movendi International: Blog Alcohol and COVID-19: Why Now Is the Time to Tackle Alcohol Harm?
News Medical: The effects of cigarette smoke and COPD on SARS-CoV-2 infection
NHS Substance Misuse Provider Alliance: The NHS SMPA New Happy Hour campaign supports sensible alcohol consumption during the pandemic
NHS Substance Misuse Provider Alliance: Moving To A Digital Service During Lockdown – What Have We Learned?
News GP: People with a dependency a hidden cost of lockdown Some of Australia’s most vulnerable have been at real risk, Dr Hester Wilson writes
NIAAA Directors Blog: Combatting alcohol misuse among college students during the COVID-19 pandemic
NIH Directors Blog ‘Coping with the Collision of Public Health Crises: COVID-19 and Substance Use Disorders’: click here
Nine News Australia ‘Drug use drops sharply in Victorian prisons during COVID-19 visitor ban’
Personnel Today: Two in five senior leaders using drugs or alcohol to alleviate Covid-19 worries
Phoenix Futures Blog: ‘Act-as-if you are infected and infectious’: what has the global Therapeutic Community movement learnt from COVID-19
Phoenix Futures: Chief Exec Karen Biggs writes about the impact of COVID-19 on the people who rely on drug and alcohol treatment services
Points: the blog of the Alcohol and Drugs History Society: how people find pot, a global perspective
Points Blog: Beyond the Quarantine Effect: The Multiple Dimensions of Cannabis in the COVID-19 Pandemic
Recovery Review: redesigning addiction and recovery services in a COVID-19 world (US): click here
Recovery Review: Alcohol in the pandemic the perfect storm – blog
RSPH ‘Covid-19 and Smoking: Act Now to Prevent a Health Calamity from Happening’
Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Problems (SHAAP) blog Understanding Alcohol in the Pandemic
Statnews (US) on the implications for methadone programmes: click here
Talking Drugs: COVID-19 decarceration, the detention centres nobody is talking about: click here
Talking Drugs: The Crisis behind Bars: Global Policy Responses to COVID-19 in Prisons
The Big Issue: ‘Lockdown has been on another level’ People are drinking more during the pandemic as the country struggles with the stress and uncertainty. But there is help out there, writes the Secret Drug Addict.
The Conversation: How lockdown changed people’s feelings about drinking and going back to the pub
The Conversation Australia COVID-19 has offered us an unexpected opportunity to help more people quit smoking
The Conversation Australia: Drive-in music festivals allow you to social distance. But what happens when you add drugs and alcohol?
The Conversation Australia: Getting back on the beers after lockdown? Here’s what you should know
The Conversation Canada:Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder amid COVID-19: Fewer services, potential boost in rates
The Conversation: how COVID-19 is changing the market for illegal drugs: click here
The Conversation: how to spot COVID-19 fake news – an expert guide: click here
The Conversation: Ian Hamilton on “Coronavirus: why the law on morphine should be loosened”
The Conversation: Ian Hamilton on ‘How the coronavirus is putting our relationship with alcohol to the test’: click here
The Conversation UK: nicotine therapy for coronavirus: the evidence is weak and contradictory
The Conversation UK: Mental illness and substance use: the two often go hand in hand so why is it so difficult to get help?
The Conversation US: people with substance use disorders face greater challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic –
The Conversation:Addiction treatment shrinks during the pandemic, leaving people with nowhere to turn (US)
The Guardian: Millions in UK smoking more amid COVID-19 crisis, study suggests
The Guardian: Pubs and restaurants: do scientists think Covid closures and curfews work?
The Guardian: Why professionals, depressed and anxious, are developing addictions during Covid
The Lancet Global Health – Comment: Does the COVID-19 pandemic provide an opportunity to eliminate the tobacco industry?
The Lancet Public Health: Correspondence ‘Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: preventing collateral damage from COVID-19’ Jonathan Sher
The New Daily Australia ‘I wished the venues stayed shut’: Coronavirus shutdown leads to drop in gambling
The Network for Public Health Law COVID-19 Pandemic and Tobacco Sales in the United States: blog
The Psychologist: Prison lockdown, Covid and gambling
The Scotsman Insight: The coronavirus hangover and Scotland’s alcohol time-bomb
University of Bedfordshire: addiction researcher has warned that lockdown could reverse UK’s ten year drop in alcohol consumption
University of Kent: online gambling risks during COVID-19 lock-down: click here
University of Missouri. Q&A: COVID-19 pandemic shows signs of affecting alcohol addictions
University New South Wales blog: An age of anxiety and drug use in COVID-19
University of Queensland Faculty of Medicine Blog: Global patterns of drinking alcohol earlier in the day during COVID-19 restrictions – who is doing it and what does that mean?
Volteface: Investigation: Student drug culture in the age of COVID-19
Volteface: Lockdown 2.0: What Does This Mean For Drug Use?
Vox: Covid-19’s big public health lesson: Ask people to be careful, not perfect: Harm reduction works. Covid-19 has proved it.
We Are With You: Are older adults getting the alcohol support they need during COVID-19? Blog
YouGov: how are British drinking habits shifting under lockdown? click here
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