Die Trinkgewohnheiten der Kanadier während der Pandemie sind geblieben. So schlimm ist es einem neuen Bericht zufolge geworden

I read this article and was just fascinated with some of the data in the underlying report. I like to resist doomer-perspectives and narratives, however this data showed some troubling trends in Canadians (which I think is inherently political, albeit not partisan-political).

Some highlights:

> Among the overall sample, people reporting moderate to serious psychological distress more than doubled — from 17.7 per cent in 2019 to 36.7 per cent in 2025. Reports of fair or poor mental health rose from 12.9 per cent in 2019 to 29 per cent in 2025 — nearly a third of the population. Suicidal ideation also increased from 3.9 per cent to 6.4 per cent.

and

> One trend that Buckley highlighted as striking is how non-medical use of prescription opioid pain relievers has nearly tripled, rising from 5.3 per cent in 2019 to 14.7 per cent in 2025.

and

> “So it’s not that we’re seeing more people drinking alcohol, but the people who are drinking alcohol are drinking it differently,” said Dr. Leslie Buckley, chief of the Addictions Division at CAMH. In regard to alcohol consumption, daily drinking among drinkers increased by three per cent between 2019 and 2025. Weekly binge drinking, or five or more drinks on a single occasion, increased by 3.6 per cent. Hazardous or harmful drinking, which looks more at early signs of alcohol dependence, increased by 3.3 per cent, while symptoms of alcohol dependence increased by 4.7 per cent.

and

> The report found some differences among demographics when looking at data specifically from 2025. Men were more likely to report daily drinking, daily smoking, weekly binge drinking, driving after drinking and symptoms of alcohol dependence, as well as use of nicotine pouches, e-cigarettes and cannabis. Women were more likely to report moderate to serious psychological distress, use of antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications, and fair or poor self-rated mental health. “There is an ongoing trend of men having increased substance use and problems related to use, while rates of mental health wellness are trending lower in women,” Buckley said. “This is not new and may demonstrate different expressions of underlying struggles.”

Looking at some of the premiers and the conversation about reducing trade barriers, it becomes a little more clear why there is such a focus on alcohol. 10% of Canadians are daily drinkers, 76% of Canadians drink alcohol at least once a year. I know Ford definitely made alcohol key to his reelection in 2025. I tend to think there isn’t that much more trade barriers after alcohol, and I tend to think the fact that 29% of Canadians report „fair or poor mental health“ may be linked to such utter underperformance of said elected officials.

Pretty obvious that both men and women are experiencing mental health struggles. It’s just that men are drinking to mask them, while women are more likely to talk about it.