What does the evidence say about lockdowns?

The evidence is in. Lockdowns had a negligible effect on COVID mortality but had a devastating effect on mental health and substance use-related deaths in addition to all their other collateral damage (Figure).

1. In 2021 suicide attempts by teenage girls increased 50.6% compared to 2019.

2. Alcohol-related deaths increased 8 times the average annual rate during the 1st year of the lockdown.

3. 2020 saw the largest one-year increase, 30%, in drug-involved overdose deaths in 20 years.

Two separate cost-benefit analyses concluded that lockdowns were more harmful to public health than COVID-19.

Let’s learn from our mistakes.