Canadians blame boredom, stress for drinking more
The coronavirus pandemic is causing some Canadians to turn to alcohol as a coping mechanism, according to a new poll.
Some are drinking more, and most say it’s because they lack a regular schedule, are stressed, bored or lonely. A small percentage of those who report drinking more said they were doing so because they “had a lot” lying around, according to the poll, carried out by data firm Nanos and commissioned by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction.
The poll shows a divide between older and younger Canadians. Those age 18 to 54 are more likely to have upped their alcohol consumption — 21 per cent versus 10 per cent of Canadians age 55 and older.
Most Canadians haven’t been drinking more, but those who are seem to be doing so as a coping mechanism, a finding that concerned Dr. Catherine Paradis, a senior researcher at the CCSA and one of the experts who helped develop Canada’s low-risk alcohol drinking guidelines.
“We want to make sure that these folks have other ways of seeking relief from stress and anxiety and loneliness,” she said.
The data also failed to provide insight into the scale of the increase. Yes, a portion of Canadians are drinking more, the poll showed, but it’s unclear by how much.
Some people might be drinking small amounts — say, one drink — more frequently than before, maybe five times a week instead of three. “If that’s the case, I’m not really concerned,” Paradis said. “However, from anecdotes that we’re hearing, I make the hypothesis that we might also have folks who are drinking in quantities that are way beyond Canada’s low-risk drinking guidelines.”
Those guidelines recommend women should consume no more than two drinks per night, 10 per week; men, no more than three drinks per night, 15 per week.
Very few Canadians are drinking less during the lockdown, the poll suggests. While most of the 235 Quebecers who responded said their alcohol consumption hadn’t changed, only 23 said their alcohol consumption had gone down.
The poll also gauged cannabis consumption and found that nine out of 10 Canadians hadn’t changed their weed habits. A small number of respondents did say they were smoking more because they were lonely, lacked a schedule and were stressed — largely the same reasons people said they were consuming more alcohol.
Paradis and her colleagues commissioned the poll because they noticed alcohol sales were up. Lines extend outside liquor stores in Montreal — partially because of social distancing guidelines. The Société des alcools du Québec said sales have jumped by about the same amount as they do close
to Christmas. The provincial cannabis retailer, the SQDC, also said sales have gone up but did not say by how much.
To those feeling lonely, stressed or unoccupied, Paradis suggested going outside, doing exercise or playing a game.
“There are other ways of seeking relief from all those emotions we are experiencing at the moment,” she said.
Nanos conducted the poll of 1,036 Canadians, including 235 Quebecers, between March 30 and April 2. It had a margin of error of ±3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.