There has been a marked increase in alcohol use since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. With this increased use and media attention on alcohol, there is an increased need for accurate information about the health impacts of alcohol use.
This is a crucial time for clear messages about alcohol use, overall health and the immune system.
CCSA has developed a new resource, Alcohol and the Immune System: 4 Things You Should Know, to provide clear facts about alcohol and the immune system and what you can do to minimize risks to your health. It has never been more important to correct misinformation and highlight that alcohol does not improve health, kill viruses or improve our ability to ward off illness.
Key facts include:
- Alcohol consumption contributes to a wide range of health problems and can weaken the body’s immune system.
- High-risk alcohol use reduces the body’s ability to fight off illnesses.
- Chronic high-risk alcohol use can weaken lung immune responses and increases the risk of developing respiratory illnesses, such as pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome.
- Alcohol use does not stimulate the immune system or increase resistance to illness.
In addition to this resource, CCSA has released a suite of supporting resources:
- COVID-19, Alcohol and Cannabis Use (brief report)
- COVID-19, Alcohol and Cannabis Use (infographic)
- Open versus Closed: The Risks Associated with Retail Liquor Stores during COVID-19 (report)
These resources are available on CCSA’s COVID-19 resource section featuring resources on the impacts of COVID-19 and substance use from trusted sites and original publications from our experts.
If you have any questions about CCSA’s alcohol resources or want to know more about our work on alcohol, please email alcohol@ccsa.ca. If you have any questions about our cannabis resources, please e-mail cannabis@ccsa.ca.
Thank you