Study: Coronavirus Pandemic Saw More than 300% Increase in Drinking Among Mothers of Young Children

The National Institute on Alcohol and Alcoholism released a study that found mothers of young children during the coronavirus pandemic increased their alcohol consumption by almost 325 percent.

The data show that overall drinking consumption in the United States was 39 percent higher in November 2020 than the previous February, before the pandemic.

The recommended drinking guidelines for men allow for up to four drinks a day but no more than 14 drinks a week, while for women no more than three drinks a day or seven drinks a week, the study pointed out as the basis for finding the large increases in alcohol consumption.

The New York Post reported on the study:

Americans exceeding those guidelines increased by 27 percent from February and April of 2020 — and jumped to 39 percent between February and November, the new study found.

Additionally, binge drinking that increased 26 percent between February and April 2020 only jumped further, to 30 percent, between February and November.

More women disproportionately reported exceeding the recommended drinking guidelines than men between April and November 2020. Women with children under age 5 in their homes increased alcohol consumption 323 percent, the study found.

Carolina Barbosa, a health economist at the nonprofit RTI International, which conducted the study for the Institute, released a statement on the study.

“Women are more likely to use alcohol to cope with stress, depression, and anxiety, and all these are a natural response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Barbosa said. “Alcohol consumption among women has been on the uptick for the past two decades, and our study suggests the pandemic may only exacerbate that trend.”

“Policymakers should be prepared to respond to the public health consequences of such a sudden, sustained increase in alcohol consumption,” she said. “I would also encourage them to consider lessons learned from the pandemic.

“For example, relaxing regulations during the pandemic to allow curbside pick-up and extending privileges for home alcohol deliveries may have contributed to increased consumption, and now some of these relaxed regulations are being permanently adopted.”

“Our study shows that people didn’t just increase their alcohol consumption for a month or two at the beginning of the pandemic — the trend held for nearly the entire year,” Barbosa said.

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