Wellbeing | Has alcohol consumption gone up in lockdown?

Google trend data has found that the search term ‘am I drinking too much’ has received a 9.400% rise in UK searches between September and October 2020. This could be attributed to the increasing time spent at home, where boredom may creep in as individuals struggle to find things to keep them busy amid the pandemic.

Similarly, research shared by Alcohol Change has also highlighted the impact the crisis is having on individuals’ alcohol intake. Back in July the organisation asked over 2,000 people whether they agreed or disagreed with the statement ‘overall, I have drunk more alcohol than usual during lockdown’ – more than a quarter of respondents agreed. Similarly, it discovered that one in six people say they have felt concerned about their drinking during lockdown, with 37% adding they have taken steps to manage their alcohol consumption.