Half of adults drinking more than a year ago, study finds

More than half of adults are drinking more alcohol compared to the start of England’s first coronavirus lockdown, while about one in three have quit smoking since then, according to new research.

Some 53.5 per cent of people said they were drinking more now than March and April last year, while 35.1 per cent said they had stopped smoking in the same time period.

Men were more likely to report an increase in alcohol consumption than women – 59.2 per cent of men as opposed to 47.3 per cent of women.

Those aged 30-59 were most likely to have increased their drinking (56.5 per cent) against 50.7 per cent of those aged 18-29 and 48 per cent of those aged over 60.

However, there have been decreases in alcohol consumption among some groups, with about two-fifths (40.1 per cent) of heavy drinkers (15+ units a week) decreasing their alcohol intake.

Roughly nine in 10 (91.5 per cent) of people aged between 18 and 29 who were drinking heavily a year ago have decreased their drinking, compared to a third of those drinking heavily aged 30-59 (37.5 per cent) and 60+ (35.5 per cent).

Lead author Dr Elise Paul, of the University College London (UCL)’s Institute of Epidemiology and Health, said: "Our report shows that during the pandemic, alcohol consumption has increased for many.

"This could be due to a wide range of factors, including using alcohol to cope with stress and the absence of other ways in which to demarcate home and work life when working from home during the lockdown.

"The closure of non-essential shops and restriction of activities will also have had an impact, with people drinking more for lack of anything else to do, rather than due to a conscious decision to increase alcohol consumption.”

She added: "The reduction in smoking is good news, with far more people quitting than starting during lockdown.

"It remains to be seen whether these changes in smoking and alcohol consumption will continue long-term or start to reverse as we emerge from the pandemic."

Right at the start of England’s first national coronavirus lockdown in March last year, the World Health Organisation (WHO) warned turning to alcohol was an “unhelpful coping strategy” for the potential stress and isolation the strict social-distancing measures would cause.

Researchers at the University of Portsmouth also raised fears that people turning to alcohol to handle stress, anxiety and boredom during the pandemic could result in longer-term health issues for at-risk individuals and lead to a “second health crisis”.

A study by alcohol education charity Drinkaware found 26 per cent of UK adults increased their alcohol consumption during the first lockdown between March and June – despite pubs being closed for more than three months.

The charity’s annual report into the UK’s drinking behaviour found job insecurity, poor mental health and a lack of daily structure contributed to far greater consumption at home in 2020.

Launched in the week before England’s lockdown started in March 2020, the ongoing UCL Covid-19 Social Study is the UK's largest survey into how adults are feeling about the lockdown, government advice and overall wellbeing and mental health with more than 70,000 participants who have been followed across the last 56 weeks.

Researchers say happiness and life satisfaction have been increasing among respondents since the end of January this year and levels are now similar to last summer, the highest point since the study began.

Additional reporting by PA