Scots continue to ‘bottle it up’
IN TIMES OF STRESS SOME PEOPLE CAN DRINK MORE OFTEN OR MORE HEAVILY. WITH REPEATED LOCKDOWNS, MANY PEOPLE ACROSS SCOTLAND HAVE TURNED TO THE BOTTLE AS A MEANS OF COPING WITH STRESS AND ANxIETY…
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here’s no doubt that 2020 has been a very difficult year, with many people finding it excessively – and increasingly - stressful. As a result, many have turned to alcohol as a means of easing their anxiety and reducing their stress levels.
A poll released earlier this year by Alcohol Change UK showed that more than a quarter (28 per cent) of people admitted to drinking more during lockdown. Even more worryingly, two in three (66 per cent) admitted that, post lockdown, they expected to continue drinking as they had been during lockdown (49 per cent), or even drink more (17 per cent).
Excessive alcohol consumption was already an issue in Scotland even prior to lockdown. The 2019 Scottish Health Survey had revealed that one in four people (24 per cent) were
40 - SCOTTISH PHARMACIST
already drinking at hazardous or harmful levels (defined as drinking more than fourteen units per week).
The survey found that 32 per cent of men and 16 per cent of women were drinking more than the recommended level, with men drinking an average of 15.5 units of alcohol a week, and women drinking an average of 8.8 units a week.
In its most recent briefing, the Institute of Alcohol Studies revealed the results of various studies that had been carried out since the first lockdown had occurred:
• The UK Household Longitudinal Study had found that, during the lockdown, there were increases in the proportion of people drinking four or more times a week and binge drinking
• The Global Drug Survey Special Edition surveyed 55,000 individuals
over seven weeks in May and June 2020, 2000 of whom were in the UK. Almost half (48 per cent) of UK participants reported that they had increased their quantity of alcohol consumption either ‘a little’ or ‘a lot’, with 54 per cent reporting that they had increased their drinking frequency
A recent survey commissioned by Alcohol Focus Scotland and Alcohol Change UK also found that people in Scotland, who were already drinking at high levels before the pandemic, were more likely to have increased their drinking during lockdown – with many citing stress as a key factor.
The representative Opinium survey of 550 adults in Scotland showed over a quarter (27 per cent) of respondents reported drinking more than usual during lockdown. Worryingly this figure increased to a third for those drinking at higher levels before
lockdown (33 per cent of those drinking seven or more units on a single occasion).
Dealing with stress was cited by around one fifth of all respondents as a reason for drinking. For those drinking more than usual, more than half (51 per cent) said this had been a way to handle stress or anxiety.
These new habits have been a source of worry for many, with almost half of those, who reported drinking more during lockdown, having felt concerned at the levels at which they were consuming.
One positive note to come out of the Opinium survey was that over half of those who reported drinking more than usual during lockdown had already taken steps to manage their drinking, with almost 60 per cent planning to do so once lockdowns are over.
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