COVID drugs, booze worry
LOCAL doctors have flagged higher levels of community drug and alcohol use amid the coronavirus pandemic, with financial stress cited as a key driver.
And there are fears patients may not be seeking help for their emerging dependencies due to concerns about exposure to COVID-19.
Western Victoria Primary Health Network clinical spokeswoman and Torquay GP Anne Stephenson said there was “lots of anecdotal evidence that people are drinking and using drugs more” during restrictions than previously.
“There are high levels of stress throughout the community, and many people don’t know how to manage the ‘new normal’ — that might include loss of your job, home schooling children while trying to work at home, or existing problems in families or relationships being magnified,” Dr Stephenson said.
“Financial stress will also be a key driver of people seeking some form of stress-relief.
“Working from home, which appears to be set to continue for the foreseeable future, means people have easy access to alcohol and drugs earlier in the day and away from the scrutiny of others and this can be very tempting.”
Dr Stephenson said many GPs and other providers had been less busy than usual due to people’s fear of contracting COVID-19.
“The risk is that patients with chronic diseases or mental health challenges are isolating themselves and not seeking help for their existing conditions or, in some cases, their emerging dependence on alcohol and drugs,” she said.
Drug counsellor and reformed addict Kane Nuttall runs the support program The Power in You Project and said there had been a rise in enquiries amid the pandemic. He said while group sessions had been affected by coronavirus restrictions, the service had continued one-on-one check-ins with participants.
“I’ve talked to a lot of people on the phone and people with family members about how to support someone with loss of job and forced change,” Mr Nuttall said.
“When people are not connecting, they can be stuck at home with some negative thoughts and some negative behaviour can creep back in.”
He said ice, alcohol and marijuana were the three main substances people were reaching out about.
He encouraged anyone experiencing substance issues to contact the service.
Victorian Alcohol and Drug Association executive officer Sam Biondo said while walk-in centres and group counselling had been curtailed, alternative methods of counselling support had been established amid the pandemic.