Study Finds Americans Drinking More Alcohol During Pandemic

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A new study published in JAMA Network Open has found Americans are reaching for an alcoholic beverage more than normal during the coronavirus pandemic.
According to People, the study revealed Americans are drinking on average 14 percent more alcohol than they did last year. Women were found to be drinking more than men (17 percent) and those aged between 30 – 59 reported drinking on average 19 percent more than in 2019.
“We’ve had anecdotal information about people buying and consuming more alcohol, but this is some of the first survey-based information that shows how much alcohol consumption has increased during the pandemic,″ People reports Michael Pollard, a lead author of the study, as telling Forbes.
″Alcohol consumption can have significant negative health consequences, so this information suggests another way that the pandemic may be affecting the physical and mental health of Americans,” he added.
“In addition to a range of negative physical health associations, excessive alcohol use may lead to or worsen existing mental health problems, such as anxiety or depression, which may themselves be increasing during COVID-19,” the study noted, adding, “health systems may need to educate consumers through print or online media about increased alcohol use during the pandemic and identify factors associated with susceptibility and resilience to the impacts of COVID-19.”