The Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic and Lockdown on Alcohol Consumption: A Perspective From Hair Analysis

    April 2021 in “ Frontiers in Psychiatry ”
    Eugenio Alladio, Lia Visintin, T Lombardo, Roberto Testi, Alberto Salomone, Marco Vincenti
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    Studysummary This study found that during the Covid-19 lockdown, the percentage of abstinent and low-risk alcohol drinkers increased while moderate and chronic drinking decreased compared to the previous four years.
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    The study analyzed hair ethylglucuronide (EtG) levels to assess the impact of the Covid-19 lockdown on alcohol consumption from March to May 2020. It involved 500 to 1,100 samples per month, comparing data from April to August 2020 with the previous 4 years. Results indicated an increase in abstinent/low-risk drinkers (up to 79%) and a decrease in moderate and chronic drinkers (−12% and −7%, respectively). However, there was an increase in EtG levels for chronic/excessive consumers in June and July 2020 (+27% and +19%, respectively), particularly among females. The findings suggested that while overall alcohol consumption decreased during the lockdown, individuals with pre-existing addictions exhibited increased harmful behavior, highlighting the utility of EtG in monitoring alcohol consumption patterns.
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