In a new report looking at the collective impact of Covid-19, the Well Being Trust estimates that in addition to tens of thousands of deaths in the U.S. as a direct result of the virus, there will also be an accompanying surge of preventable “deaths of despair” from drugs, alcohol and suicide.
A number of factors will lead to this surge, including economic failure due to massive unemployment, the impact of mandated social isolation, and the stress and uncertainty about the pandemic that will contribute to worsening mental health. We can, however, mobilize to limit the impact by investing in solutions that can help heal the nation’s isolation, pain, and suffering by addressing the structural inequalities in our society. In addition, it is critical to ensure people are connected, working, and that mental health services are accessible and integrated into healthcare.
Meanwhile, it appears that government warnings in South Korea about the dangers of vaping are having an impact: e-cigarette maker Juul says it is leaving that market after failing to gain a foothold.
And finally, a mother who lost two sons to drug overdose speaks out in a poignant essay about her loss—and how, as a society, we must talk openly about addiction and substance abuse. “We must not be silent,” she writes in USA Today. “If we are to begin to heal as a society, we must dispel stigma by coming forward and sharing our stories.”