Survey: Ontario’s high-risk drinking remains elevated since the pandemic
CAMH’s 2025 Monitor finds overall drinking dipped, but high-risk and regular drinking stayed above pre-pandemic levels, while mental health indicators have not recovered.
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By Torontoer Staff
A new Centre for Addiction and Mental Health report shows patterns of harmful alcohol use in Ontario have not returned to pre-pandemic levels. The 2025 CAMH Monitor finds overall past-year drinking has fallen slightly, but regular and high-risk drinking remain elevated.
The survey also flags continuing declines in self-reported mental health and growing use of prescription medications for anxiety and depression among some groups, underscoring ongoing public health pressures five years after the pandemic began.
How the report was done
The CAMH Monitor is Canada’s longest-running survey on adult substance use and mental health. The 2025 iteration used an online web-panel of 3,012 Ontario adults aged 18 and older, surveyed between Feb. 12 and March 28, 2025. Questions covered tobacco, alcohol, drugs, mental and physical health, driving behaviours and attitudes.
Key drinking findings
- Past-year alcohol use fell from 79.9% in 2019 to 76.2% in 2025.
- Binge drinking, defined as five or more drinks on a single occasion, was 9.6% in 2025, down from 11.3% in 2020.
- Regular alcohol consumption rose from 7.4% in 2019 to 13.9% in 2020 and remained elevated at 12.1% in 2025.
While overall reports of drinking in the past 12 months continue to trend downward, those at a high risk of harm from alcohol continue to drink at record high pandemic levels.
Dr. Leslie Buckley, CAMH Chief of Addictions Division
CAMH warns that alcohol’s accessibility and dependence potential make it a leading preventable cause of death in Canada. The report highlights that although fewer people report drinking overall, people at higher risk of harm are still drinking at rates set during the pandemic.
Shifts in where people buy booze
The report documents changes in purchasing patterns as retail access expanded. Beer store purchases declined from 25% in 2016 to 12.3% in 2025. Among people who said they drank regularly, 10% reported buying alcohol at grocery stores in the past 30 days, and 6% reported purchases at convenience stores.
Provincial rules allowing alcohol sales in convenience stores took effect in September 2024, and researchers say it is too early to link increased availability directly with higher consumption. They add that expanding access still raises concern for people already drinking at higher risk levels.
Mental and physical health trends
Self-rated mental and physical health has not returned to pre-pandemic levels. The share of adults reporting fair or poor mental health rose from 26.2% in 2020 to 29% in 2025. Those reporting frequent mental distress, defined as 14 or more days of distress in the past month, increased from 16.8% to 18.7% over the same period.
Use of prescription medications also changed: anti-anxiety medication use among women increased from 22.3% in 2020 to 26.5% in 2025, and antidepressant use among adults 65 and older rose from 10.8% to 16.3%.
The report notes worsening self-reported mental health among men despite no concomitant rise in clinically screened poor mental health. Men reporting fair or poor mental health rose from 20.8% in 2020 to 25% in 2025, and frequent mental distress among men rose from 12.3% to 16.3%.
Mental wellness remains a challenge for many adults in Ontario and highlights the need for continued investment in mental health and addiction supports, as well as ongoing monitoring of alcohol use and consumption patterns.
Dr. Hayley Hamilton, senior scientist and co-director, Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, CAMH
What people can do
For individuals concerned about their drinking, the report supports checking personal consumption against low-risk drinking guidelines and discussing concerns with a primary care provider. Those experiencing ongoing mental distress should reach out to health professionals or local mental health services for assessment and support.
At the community level, CAMH’s findings reinforce calls for continued investment in mental health and addiction services and careful monitoring of retail changes that increase alcohol availability.
The CAMH Monitor also reported cannabis use remained similar to 2020 levels, while overall current marijuana use has risen since before legalization in 2018. Researchers plan to continue tracking these trends to inform policy and services.
The 2025 CAMH Monitor paints a mixed picture: fewer Ontarians report drinking in the past year, but high-risk drinking and declining mental health remain persistent issues. Ongoing monitoring and accessible supports will shape how the province responds in the coming years.
alcoholmental healthCAMHOntariopublic healthwellness
