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Alcohol-related deaths spiked during the pandemic, a study shows

nytimes.com

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Re: Alcohol-related deaths spiked during the pandemic, a study shows

#41

Post by hnlmorg »

lbj wrote: post #34
raverbashing wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

From the article, number of alcohol deaths > rising to 99,017 in 2020, up from 78,927 the previous year Covid deaths in the US: 300k in 2020 Looks like another misrepresentation by the "covid skeptics"

Try calculating "Dead with water" and tell me how dangerous you think water is. Looksl ike another misrepresentation by the "covid fanatics"

Water is dangerous. That why you have life guards, rules at swimming pools et al, guidelines about reducing your speed when driving in wet conditions etc.

Re: Alcohol-related deaths spiked during the pandemic, a study shows

#42

Post by simonh »

stef25 wrote: post #26

Right before the first lockdown I started a new high stress job and for several months our two toddlers weren't allowed to attend school. During the first few weeks we tried to make it "fun", I'd start working around 4-5AM , alternating morning and evening shifts of work / toddlers with my partner. Then colleagues started complaining "wtf this guy's playing with his kids in the park at 2PM" and I got really bad feedb…

As with many disruptive events the impact and costs are extremely unevenly distributed. I first noticed this back in the 80s as a teenager here in the UK, we went through a horrible recession with mass unemployment. The 70s were no joke either, but my parents both had jobs which they kept, so we were fine. As it happens I had a great pandemic, we have a nice house with a garden backing on to a park and my kids are late teens.

My heart goes out though, if it had hit us back when we lived in a small flat when the girls were little it would have been a whole different story. This is why, while I'm a free market capitalist at heart, I also fully support social welfare and one payer healthcare. I've been very lucky, but many aren't. The idea that all you have to do is work hard and be self reliant just doesn't take into account things that can happen to you that are completely out of your own control.

Re: Alcohol-related deaths spiked during the pandemic, a study shows

#43

Post by teknopaul »

darthrupert wrote: post #36

I'm more and more convinced that people who don't have kids should have double the tax burden compared to parents, at least for the first 5-10 years. The stress is unimaginable, and then some people have the gall to complain when parents try to do it well. Appalling behaviour. I would not tolerate such complaints as a manager, but thankfully I have never met such attitude in my life.

Kidless workers do have some more tax burden. If you presume that taxes are wisely spent, and some of it on education, equal tax payments result in unequal benefit. Not complaining, Just explaining. I live in a country that has decent, tax funded, public education; I understand you may not. But as a kidless tax payer, I fully support decent public education paid for with my tax contributions. I don't think tax should be used as a punishment, especially not since some people can't have kids, it's not their fault.

Re: Alcohol-related deaths spiked during the pandemic, a study shows

#44

Post by kaishiro »

My older brother is an alcoholic. I suspect it's somewhat cliche to say, but when he's sober he's the nicest guy I know - almost nobody else I'd rather spend time with - and when he's drunk, he's chaos.

The past few years he's been really struggling with sobriety - on and off like a roller coaster. The pandemic was an absolute nightmare for someone like him - in between jobs, trying to stay sober, trying to find the right balance of anti-depressants and anti-anxiety meds, and all with a limited budget and shitty health insurance.

It breaks my heart that I can't do it for him.

Re: Alcohol-related deaths spiked during the pandemic, a study shows

#45

Post by cloutchaser »

IfOnlyYouKnew wrote: post #28
dijonman2 wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Regardless of which side you’re on I think everyone needs to be willing to engage in civil discourse. We’re more divided than ever and should actively work to fix it. It’s true that some people are anti lockdown and there may be merit. There may not be. The truth is we won’t know for a few years until we have more information.

No, the truth is immediately apparent, and the post you're replying to is mentioning part of it: we know how many people died, and have good enough data on causes. Lockdowns caused some deaths, with alcoholism being part of it. It also saved quite a few lives by reducing the number of traffic accidents. And no matter how you slice it, nothing comes close to the number of actual COVID deaths, let alone the number of d…

> That would have been abut 5x as much, or 1.5 million

Is this some sort of scientific fact or your opinion?

Frankly if you look at say the death rate difference between Florida, Texas (hardly any lockdowns), and California, or New york, your 5x number makes no sense. There were nowhere near 5x as many deaths in Florida, despite an older population.

Peru had massive lockdowns, and they've topped the deaths per million list. Australia are creeping up the list despite being locked down the no covid, and fully vaccinated.

China are struggling to keep omicron under control with lockdowns. Their death rate will probably rise a lot soon.

It is not at all obvious that lockdowns do actually help with the death rate.

Re: Alcohol-related deaths spiked during the pandemic, a study shows

#46

Post by dataengineer56 »

I find it interesting how otherwise smart people rationalise drinking alcohol because "everyone else does it".

My life was completely changed by Allen Carr's Easyway To Stop Drinking (available in audio books, hardback, Kindle etc). The author basically takes every reason people give for drinking and logically destroys it, often proving that the exact opposite is true.

There's also an interesting BBC documentary by Adrian Chiles called Drinkers Like Me (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hsSC03VKZo) which disspells the myth that you're only an alcoholic if you drink in the morning, among other things.

I think in the future people will look back on drinking in the same way that we currently look back on smoking.

Re: Alcohol-related deaths spiked during the pandemic, a study shows

#47

Post by chockchocschoir »

dataengineer56 wrote: post #46

I find it interesting how otherwise smart people rationalise drinking alcohol because "everyone else does it". My life was completely changed by Allen Carr's Easyway To Stop Drinking (available in audio books, hardback, Kindle etc). The author basically takes every reason people give for drinking and logically destroys it, often proving that the exact opposite is true. There's also an interesting BBC documentary by A…

Interesting. So I both drink and smoke because I enjoy it and life is too short to not do things you enjoy (applicable to all things in life), even if it shortens my life-span by some years give or take. What is the logical evidence proving that I actually don't enjoy it?

Re: Alcohol-related deaths spiked during the pandemic, a study shows

#48

Post by ejb999 »

dazc wrote: post #33
ejb999 wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

so you don't have any idea what 'they' should do, but clearly it's the hospitals fault. Maybe the 'they' that should do something is you?, but I guess it's actually easier to blame 'them', because 'they' should do something. Even AA doesn't want people that won't admit they have a problem. because 'they' can't do anything for them either. The problem lies with the drinker, if they don't want to stop, they have nobody…

What I was trying to say that it would be in the hospital's interest to offer a better solution since it will be that very same hospital that this guy will inevitably return to. I guess you are in the camp that thinks everyone can help themselves? All I would say to this is that there's lots of evidence around you that proves this idea is wrong.

OK, tell me specifically what a hospital - or anyone else - can do, to 'help' a patient that won't help themselves? Lock them up and dry them out against their will? Should we lock up drug addicts to keep them away from drugs? how about forcing blood pressure meds down the throats of people who are on the verge of a stroke, but won't stay compliant?

My guess is you have never worked in primary care, if you did, you would have a very different opinion about the limits of how much you can help someone that won't help themselves, or even admit they have an issue.

Easiest thing in the world to say is 'someone should do something', and what you usually mean is 'someone else should do something'.

Re: Alcohol-related deaths spiked during the pandemic, a study shows

#49

Post by dataengineer56 »

chockchocschoir wrote: post #47
dataengineer56 wrote: post #46

I find it interesting how otherwise smart people rationalise drinking alcohol because "everyone else does it". My life was completely changed by Allen Carr's Easyway To Stop Drinking (available in audio books, hardback, Kindle etc). The author basically takes every reason people give for drinking and logically destroys it, often proving that the exact opposite is true. There's also an interesting BBC documentary by A…

Interesting. So I both drink and smoke because I enjoy it and life is too short to not do things you enjoy (applicable to all things in life), even if it shortens my life-span by some years give or take. What is the logical evidence proving that I actually don't enjoy it?

I would recommend you read the book, but why do you think you enjoy it? Do you enjoy the taste, do you think it helps you relax, do you think it's necessary to enjoy social situations?

Re: Alcohol-related deaths spiked during the pandemic, a study shows

#50

Post by rajamaka »

darthrupert wrote: post #36

I'm more and more convinced that people who don't have kids should have double the tax burden compared to parents, at least for the first 5-10 years. The stress is unimaginable, and then some people have the gall to complain when parents try to do it well. Appalling behaviour. I would not tolerate such complaints as a manager, but thankfully I have never met such attitude in my life.

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