Spike in alcohol use during the pandemic continues today

We’ve moved on from the turbulent times of 2020, but some effects linger. If you think we’re drinking more since COVID-19, you’re right. Alcohol consumption in the U.S. rose significantly during the pandemic’s peak.

But here’s the latest revelation – it stayed high even after the pandemic wound down. The collective preference for alcohol didn’t wane as we emerged from our isolated haunts back into the sunlit world of human interaction.

Tale of two pandemics

Researchers from Keck Medicine of USC published a study that painted a stark picture of our nation’s alcohol use patterns over the past several years, comparing the pre-pandemic bliss of 2018, to the peak of the crisis in 2020, and the “new normal” of 2022.

The numbers are both surprising and concerning. In the years 2018 to 2020, heavy alcohol use among Americans shot up by a staggering 20 percent, while any alcohol use increased by 4 percent.

But here’s the kicker: in 2022, these increases were not just maintained – they had become the norm.

Alcohol intake during pandemic

Who was indulging more in the “liquid courage”? Well, the study showed the surge in drinking cut across all age groups, genders, races, and regions.

The only exceptions were Native Americans and Asian Americans. However, adults in the age bracket of 40-49 led the pack, logging the highest uptick in heavy alcohol use.

Potential health consequences

Dr. Brian P. Lee is a hepatologist and liver transplant specialist with Keck Medicine of USC and principal investigator of the study.

“These numbers reflect an alarming public health issue that could result in severe health consequences for far too many people,” said Dr. Lee. “Our results suggest men and women under 50 are at special risk.”

He paints a grim picture. Excessive alcohol use is a top preventable cause of illness and death in the U.S, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Half of all liver-related deaths are caused by alcohol. According to Dr. Lee, alcohol-related cirrhosis now tops the list of reasons for liver transplants.

Following the facts

The study on alcohol consumption during pandemic revolved around data from the National Health Interview Survey. This is one of the largest and most comprehensive health research tools in the country.

The survey stacked up alcohol use information, demographic, and socioeconomic data for more than 24,000 adults aged 18 or older. They then compared the numbers from 2018 with those from 2020 and 2022.

The end of the pandemic was officially marked by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in May 2023, but the study marked 2022 as the post-pandemic year, based on observed behavioral shifts that marked a return to some semblance of normalcy.

Alcohol use was classified as any use of alcohol, or heavy use within a year of the survey.

Heavy drinking means knocking back more than five drinks a day or over 15 a week for men, and over four drinks a day or eight per week for women.

Pandemic’s effect on alcohol use

What’s triggered this national uptick in booze consumption from 2018 to 2022? While the study did not explore the “whys,” Dr. Lee has a theory.

The stresses of the pandemic may have normalized drinking as a coping mechanism. He further speculates that the pandemic’s effects, like disruptions to schools and workplaces, might have been the catalysts for the rise in alcohol use, especially among the 40-49 age group.

Through this study, Dr. Lee and his team hope to create greater awareness about this growing issue. “We encourage health care providers to up the ante on screenings for harmful drinking, and offer interventions for those at risk,” he said.

Helping Dr. Lee crunch the numbers was a distinguished team of researchers. Study lead author Dr. Divya Ayyala-Somayajula is an expert at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.

The researchers have dissected the data, and now it is time to reflect. What can we, as a society, do to turn the tide of excess alcohol intake post-pandemic? Are we ready and willing to face this challenge head-on? Only time will tell.

The study is published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine.

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