Substance Use Disorders and COVID-19: Multi-Faceted Problems Which Require Multi-Pronged Solutions

Persistent use of alcohol, cannabis, nicotine, opioids and stimulants increase risk of substance use disorders (SUDs).  SUDs are increasingly viewed as biopsychosocial disorders with multiple risk factors interacting at individual and contextual levels with multiple health consequences. People who use alcohol and other drugs chronically frequently have co-morbid health conditions (e.g.,chronic and acute medical conditions, and psychiatric disorders) and environmental challenges (e.g., housing instability, unemployment, criminal justice involvement).