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Listen • 5:23 Lights placed as a memorial to COVID-19 victims surround the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Jan. 19. Some economists believe deaths tied to alcohol use, drug use and suicides have risen during the pandemic as the isolation felt by many has taken an emotional toll. Karen Butcher's son Matthew struggled for years with an addiction to opioids. She's convinced the pandemic made it worse. The restaurant in Scott County, Ky., where Matthew worked as a bartender closed before the pandemic, and soon other establishments, from restaurants to stores, followed su...

WHYY By Lights placed as a memorial to COVID-19 victims surround the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool on Jan. 19. Some economists believe deaths tied to alcohol use, drug use and suicides have risen during the pandemic as the isolation felt by many has taken an emotional toll. (Alex Brandon/AP) Karen Butcher’s son Matthew struggled for years with an addiction to opioids. She’s convinced the pandemic made it worse. The restaurant in Scott County, Ky., where Matthew worked as a bartender closed before the pandemic, and soon other establishments, from restaurants to stores, followed suit as ...

Originally published on January 26, 2021 11:43 am Karen Butcher's son Matthew struggled for years with an addiction to opioids. She's convinced the pandemic made it worse. The restaurant in Scott County, Ky., where Matthew worked as a bartender closed before the pandemic, and soon other establishments, from restaurants to stores, followed suit as states imposed lockdowns. "One day you're a bartender and you're serving people and having a great time at it, and then the next day the doors are closed," Butcher recalls. "Then COVID hits. It was the perfect storm." Butcher says her son was increa...