We’re Drinking More During Lockdown — It Could be a Problem

New survey study finds that binge-drinkers are at particularly high risk of increased drinking during the coronavirus pandemic.

Whether you’re an essential worker or not, most of us have spent a lot more time at home this past year than we ever have before, and — let’s face it — there’s not that much to do there. We made our sourdough bread, we binge-watched Queen’s Gambit, but anecdotally — Americans have been doing something else a lot more since they’ve been stuck at home — drinking.

And a new study from the American Journal of Drug and Alcohol Abuse suggests this is more than just anecdote. The pandemic has upped our alcohol consumption — particularly those among us who drink more anyway.

Now, caveats abound for this survey study, which recruited participants via social media. The response rate was less than 6%, but at the very least it’s good to put some numbers to the problem and identify some directions for future research.

OK 1,928 self-selected participants from across the US completed the online survey in…