The pandemic brought along a rise in alcohol and substance use and while that may not come as a surprise, what might is that the trend has continued.
Dr. Lisa Lefebvre of U of T 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.
Dr. Lefebvre says that crisis is finding its way to the ER because often times, there’s nowhere else to go.
What doesn’t help she notes, is that often times the only place available to assist someone during a mental health crisis is in overcrowded ERs.
(Written by: Grant Deme)
