New research adds to the list of evidences that how harmful can drinking be for adults, and the chances of drinking increases with the longer they stay at home during the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The research, published in the American Journal of Drugs and Alcohol Abuse, illustrates the connection between unsafe drinking and life stress induced by the COVID-19 pandemic and related 'lockdowns.'
The results show that the risk of heavy alcohol consumption among binge drinkers—those who within two hours, drank five or more drinks for men and four or more for women—has increased by an additional 19 per cent each week of the lockdown.
The overall rate of increased alcohol consumption for binge drinkers was more than double that for people who did not drink too much (60 per cent vs. 28 per cent), particularly those with depression or a history of illness.
"Increased time spent at home is a life stressor that impacts drinking and the Covid-19 pandemic may have exacerbated this stress," said study author Sitara Weerakoon from the University of Texas in the US.
The data was from an online survey conducted by 1,982 adults between mid-March and mid-April, which coincided with the first US nationwide stay-at-home order on 19 March.
The average age of the participants was 42 and the majority were white (89 per cent) and female (69 per cent).
Based on survey responses, the researchers classified participants as binge drinkers, non-binge drinkers and non-drinkers.
Inputs from IANS
