Alcohol use in times of the COVID 19: Implications for monitoring and policy

Abstract

Based on a literature search undertaken to determine the impacts of past public health crises, and a systematic review of the effects of past economic crises on alcohol consumption, two main scenarios-with opposite predictions regarding the impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic on the level and patterns of alcohol consumption-are introduced. The first scenario predicts an increase in consumption for some populations, particularly men, due to distress experienced as a result of the pandemic. A second scenario predicts the opposite outcome, a lowered level of consumption, based on the decreased physical and financial availability of alcohol. With the current restrictions on alcohol availability, it is postulated that, for the immediate future, the predominant scenario will likely be the second, while the distress experienced in the first may become more relevant in the medium-and longer-term future. Monitoring consumption levels both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic will be necessary to better understand the effects of COVID-19 on different groups, as well as to distinguish them from those arising from existing alcohol control policies. [Rehm J, Kilian C, Ferreira-Borges C, Jernigan D, Monteiro M, Parry CDH, Sanchez ZM, Manthey J. Alcohol use in times of the COVID 19: Implications for monitoring and policy. Drug Alcohol Rev 2020;39: [301][302][303][304]

Factors Associated With Psychological Distress, Fear and Coping Strategies During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Australia

“…Increased alcohol consumption might also be explained as a coping mechanism for the perceived distress as many self-medication hypotheses posit use of substances like alcohol for relieving distress [30]. Our study results are also consistent with the ndings from a literature review which documented an increase in alcohol consumption for some populations, particularly men, because of added mental stress due to uncertainty about the future due to COVID-19, and economic and employment concerns experienced as a result of the pandemic [31]. The same can be stated regarding increased smoking, as most nicotine consumers reported using nicotine products as their main stress and anxiety coping mechanism.…”

“…This could also be the possible explanation of accentuation of psychological distress, and therefore, participants utilised more healthcare services (by physical visits or through telehealth) to overcome the COVID-19 related stress during the study period. Like previous studies, our study also found that fear of COVID-19 was a prominent risk factor for the onset and maintenance of increased alcohol consumption [31]. This explains why participants used alcohol as part of their neuro-adaptations and coping response to the stress (induced by fear) because of the pandemic and social isolation [37].…”

“…All items were scored, and the total score categorised into low (score 10-15), moderate (score [16][17][18][19][20][21], high (score [22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29] and very high (score 30-50). FCV-19S had seven items and the response to each item was also measured using a 5-point Likert scale (strongly disagree, somewhat disagree, neither agree nor disagree, somewhat agree, strongly agree); similarly, scores were categorised into low (score 7-21) and high (score [22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35]. BRCS had four items and responses were collected again using a 5-point Likert scale (does not describe me at all, does not describe me, neutral, describes me, describes me very well); scoring was categorised into low (score 4-13), medium (score 14-16) and high (score 17-20) resilient copers.…”

Is Alcohol an “Essential Good” During COVID‐19? Yes, but Only as a Disinfectant!

“…Alcohol adversely affects people around the world on a large scale even in nonpandemic times, with about 3 million deaths attributed to alcohol use each year (Shield et al, 2020). During the current coronavirus disease (COVID‐19) pandemic, a variety of government reactions related to alcohol control was seen, with some countries banning the sale of alcohol outright, and others formally declaring off‐premises sales and alcohol delivery services to be “essential,” allowing for additional forms of delivery and weakened restrictions on its availability (Rehm et al, 2020; Reynolds and Wilkinson, 2020). Although sales bans, especially total bans, can be problematic, they do follow the public health rationale and the existing evidence that reducing the availability of retail alcohol will result in less consumption and, therefore, less alcohol‐related harm (Chisholm et al, 2018).…”

“…During the pandemic, several countries (e.g., South Africa, Thailand, and India) have introduced total bans on alcohol sales, mainly aiming to minimize the risks of alcohol‐fueled domestic violence under lockdowns, reduce the burden to the healthcare system from alcohol‐related health emergencies, and prevent the virus from spreading further as intoxicated individuals might not practice physical distancing and personal hygiene (Nadkarni et al, 2020; Rehm et al, 2020). Other countries have introduced partial bans for similar reasons.…”