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COVID-19

COVID-19 Pandemic Exacerbates Substance Use Trends

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The COVID-19 pandemic has worsened trends in substance use, particularly in social media discussions, with a notable increase in user participation in 2020, largely driven by male users and teenagers. The study found that user participation in prescription medication discussions was higher among female users compared to other substance types, while alcohol use increased by 80% within two weeks after the global pandemic declaration in 2020. The analysis also suggests that social media data can be a valuable platform for real-time substance use surveillance and prevention during crises.

Key Takeaways:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic led to a 22.18% increase in user participation in substance use discussions in 2020 compared to 2019 and a 25.24% increase compared to 2021.
  • Male users and teenagers dominated substance use discussions across all substance types throughout the study period.
  • User participation in prescription medication discussions was higher among female users compared to other substance types during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Alcohol use increased by 80% within two weeks after the global pandemic declaration in 2020.
  • The study established social media data as a valuable platform for real-time substance use surveillance and prevention during crises.
  • The analysis found trends in substance use by age, gender, race, and ethnicity, providing actionable insights for targeted public health interventions.

Statistics:

  • 9 million substance use posts were identified using a custom-trained deep learning model over a 3-year period (2019, 2020, and 2021).
  • The study analyzed 1.13 billion posts on Twitter (now known as X) during the same period.
  • The highest level of user participation in substance use discussions was observed in 2020, with a 22.18% increase compared to 2019 and a 25.24% increase compared to 2021.
  • Male users and teenagers increasingly dominated substance use discussions across all substance types throughout the study period.
  • User participation in prescription medication discussions was higher among female users compared to other substance types during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Alcohol use increased by 80% within two weeks after the global pandemic declaration in 2020.

Sources:

  • NewsRx. Reports Summarize COVID-19 Findings from Kent State University (Differential Analysis of Age, Gender, Race, Sentiment, and Emotion in Substance Use Discourse on Twitter During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Natural Language Processing Approach). Medical Letter on the CDC & FDA. August 17, 2025; p 100.
  • Differential Analysis of Age, Gender, Race, Sentiment, and Emotion in Substance Use Discourse on Twitter During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Natural Language Processing Approach. JMIR Infodemiology, 2025;5.

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