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Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Vapor Exposure Paired with Two-Bottle Choice to Model Alcohol Use Disorder
05:12

Chronic Intermittent Ethanol Vapor Exposure Paired with Two-Bottle Choice to Model Alcohol Use Disorder

Published on: June 23, 2023

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Alcohol-Induced & Drug-Induced Deaths in Hawai'i During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Nash A K Witten1, Clark Caballero2

  • 1Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai'i, Aiea, HI (NAKW).

Hawai'I Journal of Health & Social Welfare
|November 4, 2024
PubMed

Insights

The COVID-19 pandemic saw rising alcohol and drug-induced deaths nationwide. However, Hawai

Area of Science:

  • Public Health
  • Epidemiology
  • Toxicology

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic correlated with increased alcohol- and drug-induced mortality in the United States.
  • Pre-pandemic trends in mortality require examination in the context of pandemic-related societal changes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze alcohol- and drug-induced mortality trends in Hawai'i during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • To compare Hawai'i's mortality data with national trends from 2018 to 2021.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Underlying Cause of Death database.
  • Compared age-adjusted rates of alcohol-induced, drug-induced, and all-cause deaths for individuals aged 15+.
  • Analyzed data from 2018 through 2021, encompassing pre-pandemic and pandemic years.

Main Results:

  • Both the US and Hawai'i experienced annual increases in alcohol- and drug-induced deaths from 2018 to 2021.
  • Alcohol-related deaths in Hawai'i mirrored the increasing national trend during the pandemic.
  • Conversely, Hawai'i observed a decrease in the age-adjusted rate of drug-induced deaths between 2020 and 2021.

Conclusions:

  • Alcohol-induced mortality in Hawai'i rose in parallel with the US during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Hawai'i demonstrated a unique trend with a decline in drug-induced deaths, contrasting with national increases.
  • Pandemic-related mortality patterns for substance-induced deaths vary geographically, necessitating localized public health strategies.

Keywords:
COVID-19alcohol-related deathdrug-related death

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