Society For The Study Of Addiction

COVID-19: news and opinion (links)

For a weekly update on all addiction-related news, see Addiction Journal’s newsroom.

News and opinion A-Z

2021

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Commonwealth Fund Blog: The Spike in Drug Overdose Deaths During the COVID-19 Pandemic and Policy Options to Move Forward

The Drinks Business (Asian Edition) South Koreans have drunk more frequently during the pandemic

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 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

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 AdoptionViewpoint

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

The SSA does not endorse nor guarantee the accuracy of the information in external sources or links, and accepts no responsibility or liability for any consequences arising from the use of such information

Every effort is made to maintain the accuracy of the information on the SSA website. However, things change all the time. If you discover any out-of-date links or if you know of other links that could be included, please let us know.