As the United States continues to be under coronavirus restrictions, more people are abusing drugs and alcohol.
A survey of 1,000 U.S. adults released this week found that 55% of respondents have increased their consumption of alcohol during the past month, while 36% reported an increase in illegal drug use. The survey was conducted by the Recovery Village, a Florida-based network of substance abuse treatment facilities.
Of the 55% who reported drinking more alcohol, 18% reported a significant increase. Those numbers were even more pronounced in states that have been hit hardest during the pandemic. Of those polled in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, 67% said they have increased their drinking habits, with a quarter of respondents reporting a significant increase.
“Experts have already started to voice concerns on the secondary effects America is yet to see from COVID-19. Namely, there’s expected to be a rise in substance abuse throughout the pandemic and increased rates of addiction afterward due to the stress of isolation, boredom, decreased access to recovery resources and unemployment,” the survey said.
When those polled were asked why they used alcohol and drugs within the last month, 53% said it was to deal with stress, 39% cited boredom, and 32% said they were using them to handle mental health issues like depression or anxiety.
There have been more than 1.3 million cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and at least 83,700 deaths.
The Washington Examiner has reached out to the Recovery Village for comment.
