Alcohol sales during COVID-19 social restrictions: Initial evidence from Alcoholic Beverage Control states

Abstract

Background: The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disrupted life around the globe and has the potential to seriously impact alcohol consumption for individuals experiencing social isolation and pandemic-related stress. Evidence from prior epidemics suggests increased alcohol consumption during quarantine and times of high stress are associated with a greater chance of developing an alcohol use disorder (AUD). This study examines alcohol sales data to ascertain how individuals are interacting with alcohol during the pandemic. Materials and method: Monthly off premises alcohol sales data for select US alcoholic beverage control states were used to construct monthly sales patterns from 2015 to 2020. An independent samples t-test was used to determine if COVID-19 era alcohol sales were higher than those that occurred from 2015 to 2019. Results: Alcohol sales from March to August 2020 were significantly higher than sales from the same span of months from 2015 to 2019 (t=–2.47, p<.05). The associated monthly percentage increase in sales ranged from 14 to 44% with the overall trend indicating a move toward pre-pandemic sales totals. Conclusion: As COVID-19 continues to disrupt typical ways of being across the globe, the implications of increased sales of alcohol should not be overlooked. Taken together, the evidence on increased use during isolation and later AUD diagnosis coupled with the ABC state sales figures here, point to a potential increase in the development of AUD and an increase in alcohol-related harms.