Alcohol and COVID-19 in the Americas: What’s happened and how do we move forward?

Register now: https://paho-org.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_yhDC5iDLQFGqrvCZ-Op2Sw

Monday, August 30, 2021

The Department of Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health (NMH) will host the webinar "Alcohol and COVID-19 in the Americas: What’s happened and how do we move forward?", Monday, 30 August 2021, at 10:00 a.m. EDT. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed drinking patterns in a variety of ways. These changes are, in part, the result of the public policies aimed at controlling the spread of the virus as well as changes in alcohol policies. Alcohol is a major risk factor for mortality and morbidity in the Americas and is responsible for 6.5% of all deaths in the region. Emerging evidence from several key reports highlight the societal and economic cost of harmful alcohol consumption, the main strategies used by the alcohol industry during the pandemic, and the ways and extent to which incentives given to the same industries end up going against public health and safety goals.

The objective of this webinar is to review the current situation regarding alcohol consumption, policies and responses in the Americas in the context of COVID-19, and to discuss what can be done as we move forward to reduce the harmful use of alcohol and build more resilient health systems while we continue to contend with the COVID-19 pandemic.