The rate of deaths due to drinking alcohol nearly doubled over a two-year period in Alaska, based on data from the Alaska Department of Health.
Alcohol bottles in a home in Anchorage in May, 2023. Alaska has one of the highest reported rates of binge drinking in the country, according to the CDC. over a two-year period in Alaska, based on data from the Alaska Department of Health. Those years, 2019 to 2021, included the start of COVID. The deaths counted include people who die from alcohol poisoning and those who die from alcohol-related causes like liver disease.
Platt, who has a background in marriage and family therapy, says that the opposite of addiction is connection. She says an environment with lots of activity choices and ways to connect with people without alcohol can play a role in lower rates of substance use. “People are experiencing a lot of stress from loss of jobs, and having your kids at home all the time. There might be changes in alcohol use, things like that,” said Avila. “But, it’s hard to tease out with numbers how much of that is due to the pandemic or other factors.”
But, it will take longer to see data from 2023, when many COVID restrictions were fully lifted. That will be when public health scientists get a more complete picture of drinking deaths over the years most affected by the COVID pandemic.
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