quebecers have been smoking and drinking a lot less in the past month than during the second peak of the pandemic at the beginning of the year, indicates the latest survey by the province’s public health institute. however, cannabis consumption during this period has remained stable, challenging earlier news reports that suggested pot use was rising.
indeed, a u.s. study found that during the first wave of the pandemic in 2020, sales of alcohol and tobacco jumped by 34 per cent and 13 per cent, respectively.
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as for cannabis consumption, the rates were 13 per cent on feb. 9, 13 per cent on march 9, 12 per cent on may 4 and 13 per cent on july 5. these findings would appear to contradict news reports that “quebecers are smoking more cannabis during the lockdown,” as one headline stated.
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meanwhile, in a separate survey, the inspq found quebecers are the most optimistic they’ve been that the pandemic is nearing the end. in the survey taken from june 11 to june 23, 87 per cent of respondents said they believed the worst of the crisis was behind them. that compares with a low of 10 per cent in january.