Photo credit: Drug rehab
“Alcohol remains one of the leading preventable causesof death in Canada, in large part due to its accessibility and potential for dependence,” says a doctor at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.
Toronto Today reports that harmful drinking behaviours, including alcohol dependence, remain high five years after the COVID-19 pandemic, a new report has found.
In the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health’s (CAMH) 2025 Monitor report, the hospital said symptoms of alcohol dependence continue to be reported higher than pre-pandemic levels.
While the overall percentage of adults using alcohol in the past year declined since before the pandemic, reported symptoms of dependence on the substance increased from 7.4 per cent in 2019 to 13.9 per cent in 2020, and have remained at elevated levels of 12.1 per cent in 2025.
“Those at a high risk of harm from alcohol continue to drink at record high pandemic levels,” said Dr Lesley Buckley of the CAMH Chief of Addictions Division in a statement.
“Alcohol remains one of the leading preventable causes of death in Canada, in large part due to its accessibility and potential for dependence,” Buckley added.
The Monitor report, which has been ongoing for 49 years, is a population survey looking into adult substance abuse and mental health trends. The 2025 edition was conducted using an online web-panel survey of 3,012 adults in Ontario, aged 18 or older.
