Reader’s Commentary: Warning: Substance abuse in holidays

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By Joseph Kertis
Newport, Ore.

The holiday season is upon us again. This year, we have an opportunity to celebrate and gather together for perhaps the first time since 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic began. The restrictions which prevented many groups of individuals from enjoying the traditional holiday gathering have been lifted, and much of that is thanks to the development of vaccines. But as things go back to normal, there’s reason to believe that the risks that come with the 2021 holidays may be even greater now than they were amid the pandemic.

The first sign of concern has been the increasing rate of drug overdose deaths since the pandemic began. As if he United States drug problem wasn’t bad enough, the COVID-19 pandemic severely made worse the U.S. drug epidemic. An increase of approximately 30% in drug overdose deaths was more than anyone predicted and a sign that the social distancing restrictions designed to help us may have caused harm.

In substance abuse treatment, it is commonly believed that connection is the opposite of addiction. Following this logic, isolation would effectively breed drug use. That concept has proven to be true since the pandemic began.

According to Marcel Gemme of Addicted.org, countless families dealt with shrinking social networks, smaller support systems, social isolation, or the death and illness of loved ones during the pandemic. To compound matters, many of the resources that communities depend on for help with addiction were forced to shut down or suspend services because they couldn’t manage the recommended social distancing guidelines.

These outcomes have left many observers wondering if the increased rates of drug overdose deaths will begin to drop again when the pandemic winds down. But sadly, it appears they won’t be any time soon.

Provisional data from CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics indicates an estimated 100,306 drug overdose deaths occurred in the United States during the 12 months ending in April this year. It is an increase of almost 30% from the 78,056 deaths during the same period one year prior and the first time in the history of the U.S., where we’ve seen more than 100,000 drug overdose deaths annually.

But thankfully, the upcoming holidays present a unique opportunity to do something about this problem. For many, it will be the first time they’ve seen some of their family in more than a year. These holidays will bring groups of individuals together that have been in isolation and, given the statistics, a good portion of the may be struggling with addiction.

This year, we could have the opportunity to save someone’s life over the holidays. Let’s not take that for granted. Take the time to talk with your loved ones and find out what’s going on in their lives. And if they need help, there is no better gift.

Joseph Kertis is an experienced health-care professional turned journalist. His experience in the field of substance abuse and addiction recovery provides a unique insight into one of our Nation’s most challenging epidemics. He utilizes this knowledge in his writing to give an expert viewpoint that spreads awareness through education.

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