The binge-drinking cost of the Covid-19 pandemic

LOW mental wellbeing, drinking to cope and an increase in weekly and binge drinking have been reported by Irish people in the wake of the pandemic.

The findings have been published in a new report by Drinkaware, the national charity working to prevent and reduce the misuse of alcohol in Ireland.

The study examined how drinking patterns that were formed or changed a year after the first lockdown.

It found a rising number were drinking on a weekly basis in 2021 (55%) compared with 2020 (52%) and 2019 (44%). It also found 49% of the 1,000 respondents were binge drinking in the past 30 days versus 46% in 2020 and 36% in 2019.

A total of 61% indicated frequently drinking for coping reasons, which was also a rise from 60% in 2020 and 50% in 2019.

Families with pre-school children were most likely to report increased consumption. This applied to both the amount of alcohol consumed and the frequency.

Low mental wellbeing peaked among 25 to 34-year-olds at 43%, as well as those that had increased their alcohol consumption in the past 12 months. The report said 18 to 24-year-olds had reported significant levels of stress and tension. Of these, 66% said it had increased during the initial lockdown phase in 2020, but a year on in 2021, 39% reported no change to their levels of stress and tension, and 37% reported an increase in this in 2021.

The number in this age group who reported binge drinking on a typical day of drinking nearly doubled to 31% in 2021, from 16% at the time of the initial lockdown phase in 2020.

However, the Drinkaware survey said there had been a positive rise in those reporting they would like to drink alcohol less often – this applied to 30% of respondents in 2021 versus 24% in 2020.

There was also a rise in those who said they had made small changes for the better – 37% in 2021 compared with 31% in 2020

Of those who have decreased their alcohol consumption, the 18-24 age cohort were the most likely to report both a decrease in the amount at 41% and a decrease in frequency at 45%.

Drinkaware chief Sheena Horgan said: ‘This paper provides an in-depth story of who, what, where, when and why of drinking in Ireland a year into the pandemic.’