Brits started drinking alcohol later on average during covid lockdown restrictions, according to new
research.
This seems to be true whether or not drinking in pubs and bars is included in the figures. Restrictions meant nearly all alcohol drinking moved to the home
The finding goes against the idea that more daytime drinking might have caused the UK’s 19% jump in alcohol-specific deaths in 2020.
The US saw a
rise of 26% in alcohol-induced deaths the same year but this has attracted very little interest from media or academia.
Home delivery and lack of cues to stop are other possible factors. The dead were mostly heavier drinkers whose drinking escalated to lethal levels. ■
