AS THE NOVEL coronavirus spreads and more states issue stay-at-home orders in the U.S., the head of the National Institute on Drug Abuse says social isolation and overburdened health systems could paint a dire picture for people struggling with addiction.
“Every one of us is affected by COVID – maybe we don’t get infected, (but) we’re all anxious because of the uncertainties” surrounding it, NIDA Director Dr. Nora Volkow says. “How we cope with that anxiety is very much dependent on multiple factors, including our circumstances, but one of the ways that people cope with it is by taking drugs.”