USA and COVID-19: Big Alcohol Fuels Rise of Multiple Alcohol Harms

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought focus to the importance of health and well-being of people and communities as well as resilience of health systems. Unfortunately in the United States (U.S.) alcohol use is rising due to the products and practices of the alcohol industry.
Alcohol and other substance use problems are increasingly threatening the health and well-being of people in the United States (U.S.). The products and practices of the alcohol industry were already before the pandemic causing serious health and social harms. But those are further accelerating and could last longer than the pandemic itself. Big Alcohol’s strategies of marketing their products as coping tools during such a difficult time, and their deregulation agenda, have led to a dangerous rise in alcohol use and resulting problems in the U.S.
By prioritizing alcohol policy solutions such as health taxes the federal government can sustainably “build back better” in 2021 and beyond.