A new CMAJ study has found that alcohol-related hospitalizations and deaths in Canada surged during the COVID-19 pandemic. While overall alcohol consumption increased only modestly, the toll on the healthcare system was severe, with a 14% rise in hospitalizations and a 24% increase in deaths during the first two years of the pandemic. Researchers suggest that increased access to alcohol—through expanded retail hours and home delivery—contributed to these harms, particularly among heavier drin...