Nate Stone, a clinical psychologist with the Birmingham Maple Clinic, recently was featured on WXYZ to talk about the reasons why substance abuse issues rise in the summer, and why the 2021 summer is particularly harmful. He notes that many summer activities, from barbecuing to golf, often involve lots of drinking, which makes it hard on people with substance abuse issues. This effect, which happens on normal years, has been exacerbated by the pandemic, which saw a 13 percent rise in substance use and 18 increase in overdoses. Stone states that:
They were drinking a lot or smoking a lot during the pandemic and now they’re elevating it. That has to do with a lot of people gaining weight. They don’t want to go back to work.
To learn about strategies to combat substance abuse issues, avoiding triggering environments, and seeking help, read the rest of the article on WXYZ.