We are all aware how contracting the coronavirus can have negative consequences for our health, but the mere presence of a global pandemic may also have negative effects on our health, even if we don’t catch the virus. We’ve heard of delays in preventative screenings and elective surgeries causing health problems for patients, but new research has found that the pandemic is causing more people to turn to alcohol to cope, and that can have serious implications for our health.
Alcohol, The Pandemic and Our Health
A number of studies and data points show that alcohol sales have boomed during the pandemic. That may not be a total shock, as people are looking for a way to relieve stress in their lives, and many of them couldn’t go to their local watering hole when stay at home orders were in place. One reporting agency found that alcohol sales were up 54 percent for the week ending March 21, 2020, compared to the same time period last year, and online sales increased 262 percent from the prior year. Another study found that heavy drinking among women (defined as four or more drinks in two hours) has increased by 41 percent since spring of last year. And it’s not just a problem contained to the US, as a study from the University of Glasgow found that 22 percent of people reported drinking four or more times a week during lockdown, up from 13.7 percent between 2017 and 2019.
And as alcohol intake increases, so too does our risk of long-term health effects. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, excessive alcohol use can lead to:
- High blood pressure
- Heart disease
- Stroke
- Liver disease
- Memory and mental health problems
- Compromised immune system
You might think that these are just temporary increases in alcohol intake, and for many Americans, that might be the case. But for others, unhealthy habits can form, and that can lead to many of the problems listed above. Considering that alcohol-related illnesses kill more than 88,000 Americans each year, alcohol consumption is clearly having a significant impact on the health of our nation. And based on the alcohol purchasing data, it seems likely those numbers will only continue to rise in the not so distant future.
Please, make smart decisions when it comes to alcohol consumption during and after the pandemic. There are healthier ways to relieve stress, and while we’re not saying you can never indulge in alcohol, don’t make it a crutch you lean on heavily during the pandemic. Strive for healthier stress relieving options, like exercising or reading.