![]() Binge drinking increased by 30% during the same period. In terms of drinks per month, alcohol consumption was 39% higher in November 2020 than it was in February 2020, the month before the pandemic began, according to the study. “There’s really strong science around increased availability leading to increased consumption and increased harm.”Ī study conducted by RTI International, a North Carolina-based research institute, found an overall increase in alcohol consumption that began with the onset of the pandemic and continued throughout 2020. ![]() Alcohol Policy Alliance, which lobbied against looser state laws. “With the increase in availability, we see excessive use,” said Alicia Sparks, chair of the nonprofit U.S. ![]() The survey conducted in May 2020, two months after the pandemic began, found that people who had alcohol delivered were nearly twice as likely to engage in binge drinking compared with those who obtained it other ways. Many normal social interactions were canceled or curtailed.īut some researchers say looser laws also contributed to a rise in binge drinking and overall consumption, with all the attendant health harms.Ī study published earlier this year by researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health found that people who had alcohol delivered reported consuming more drinks and drinking on more days than people who obtained it through other methods. Those working at home had easier access to alcohol and spent less time commuting in their cars. Some drank to deal with their anxiety, stress or grief. Many factors have prompted some people to drink more during the pandemic. have made the rules permanent, and 14 have extended them, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States. Of the 35 states (plus the District of Columbia) that loosened their cocktails to-go laws during the pandemic, 18 plus D.C. But in their desire to boost the hospitality industry, states might be fueling binge drinking and higher overall alcohol consumption, some research shows. Most states that allowed curbside pickup or home delivery of alcohol to help restaurants, bars and liquor stores survive pandemic closures have extended the looser liquor laws. This story was originally posted by Stateline, an initiative of the Pew Charitable Trusts.
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