The word “epidemic,” once limited to describing the spread of disease, has evolved both colloquially and formally as a label for all sorts of deleterious activities that have become widespread. Gender-based violence is an epidemic, according to the federal government and various municipalities. So, too, is opioid and other drug addiction, as described by the government’s standing committee on health. Loneliness is an epidemic, says the National Institute on Aging. Even the issue of car theft in Canada has been called an “epidemic” by various media outlets.
It’s a rhetorical flourish: a way to convey impact and severity with a single word, invoking a sense of urgency to act.
