Pandemic Related Addiction Increasing

A new report from the Centers for the Disease Control and Prevention, shows an increase in binge drinking among pregnant women aged 18 to 49 during the past two years, linked to the pandemic.  We talked to an addiction expert about the troubling trends she’s seeing right now.

Molly Simpson says this time of year, more people show up at the Hazeldon Betty Ford Foundation in Newberg, seeking help for addiction and alcoholism.   She serves as its Clinical Director.  “Certainly after the new year, there seems to be an influx of people who are wanting to make changes.”

But what’s different now, is the pandemic, which has forced people into more isolation.  “We see the fallout from that. We see the calls to suicide hotlines have dramatically increased.  We see that overdoses have also dramatically increased.  And we’re just passing all of these horrible milestones.”

The new report from the C.D.C. found pregnant women in particular are struggling, reporting much more binge drinking and mental health distress, and with that more risks for miscarriages and birth defects.