Changes in Adult Alcohol Use and Consequences During the COVID-19 Pandemic in the US

Michael S. Pollard, Joan S. Tucker, Harold D. Green

ResearchPosted on rand.org Oct 16, 2020Published in: JAMA Network Open, Volume 3, Issue 9 (September 2020). doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.22942

As stay-at-home orders began in some US states as a mitigation strategy for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) transmission, Nielsen reported a 54% increase in national sales of alcohol for the week ending March 21, 2020, compared with 1 year before; online sales increased 262% from 2019. Three weeks later, the World Health Organization warned that alcohol use during the pandemic may potentially exacerbate health concerns and risk-taking behaviors. This study examines individual-level changes in alcohol use and consequences associated with alcohol use in US adults, as well as demographic disparities, from before to during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Document Details

  • Copyright: Michael S. Pollard, Joan S. Tucker, Harold D. Green Jr
  • Publisher: JAMA Network Open
  • Availability: Non-RAND
  • Year: 2020
  • Pages: 4
  • Document Number: EP-68312

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