Alcohol use increased during the Covid-19 pandemic. A new study shows that it's still high
Surge in Alcohol Consumption Continues Post-Pandemic #
A surge in stress-related drinking and alcohol-related deaths in the U.S. during the Covid-19 pandemic has persisted, defying expectations of a decline post-pandemic. The pandemic caused a significant increase in patients suffering from liver failure due to excessive alcohol consumption. Although expectations leaned towards a reduction in alcohol use as the pandemic waned, statistics continue to show a slight rise in alcohol consumption from 2020 through 2022.
Data show that 69.3% of Americans reported some alcohol consumption in 2022, compared to 69% in 2020 and 66.34% in 2018, demonstrating a steady increase in drinking habits. The percentage of heavy drinkers rose from 5.1% in 2018 to 6.3% in 2022. White Americans showed the highest increase in heavy drinking, with about 7.3% reporting such habits in 2022, up from 5.7% in 2018. Women also saw an increase, with 6.45% identifying as heavy drinkers compared to 6.1% of men.
“If you’re drinking more than one drink per day as a woman, you can be at risk for having liver disease.” Heavy drinking is defined as four or more drinks on any day or eight or more per week for women, and five or more drinks a day or 15 or more per week for men. This equates to about 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of spirits.
The pandemic’s disruptive effects, like job loss and routine changes, along with stressors such as financial insecurity and work pressure, may have contributed to increased alcohol consumption. “Increasing stress and burnout in society exacerbate this tendency.” Despite over 49,000 alcohol-related deaths in 2020 and an increase of more than 29% from 2016-2017 to 2020-2021, greater intervention is necessary to combat this trend.
Effective strategies might include higher taxation and restricted sale hours to limit alcohol access, alongside better public messaging on the risks of overconsumption. “People need to know what is harmful alcohol use and what it does to your body.” Medical professionals are encouraged to address alcohol use with patients candidly and without judgment to combat the harmful effects it has on health across multiple diseases.