A recent study reveals that heavy alcohol consumption among adults in the U.S. climbed over 20 percent during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, with this trend persisting for the subsequent two years.
According to a comprehensive national study conducted by Keck Medicine of USC, which was published today in the Annals of Internal Medicine, there was a notable rise in alcohol consumption throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and these elevated levels continued even after the pandemic subsided.
Comparing drinking habits from 2018, before the pandemic, to 2020, during its peak: heavy alcohol consumption among Americans surged by 20%, while any level of alcohol use rose by 4%. By 2022, these increases were still evident.
The increase in alcohol consumption spanned all demographics, including age, gender, race, and ethnicity, across the nation, although Native Americans and Asian Americans did not show this trend. The highest rates of heavy drinking were noted among adults aged 40-49.
Brian P. Lee, MD, MAS, a liver transplant specialist and hepatologist at Keck Medicine of USC, warned, “These statistics highlight a concerning public health crisis that could lead to serious health repercussions for many individuals. Our findings highlight that those under 50, both men and women, are particularly vulnerable.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, excessive alcohol consumption is one of the leading preventable causes of illness and mortality in the U.S. Alcohol accounts for half of all liver-related deaths, and alcohol-induced cirrhosis is the primary reason for liver transplants, noted Lee.
The researchers scrutinized data from the National Health Interview Survey, which is one of the largest health surveys in the U.S., gathering information about alcohol consumption alongside demographic and socioeconomic factors from over 24,000 adults aged 18 and older. They compared statistics from 2018 with those from 2020, and again from 2018 to 2022.
Although the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced the formal end of the pandemic in May 2023, this study classified 2022 as a post-pandemic year, noting that behaviors were beginning to revert to pre-pandemic norms.
Respondents were classified based on their alcohol consumption within a year of the survey, with distinctions made between any level of use and heavy use. Heavy drinking was categorized as consuming five or more drinks per day or 15 or more drinks per week for men, and four or more drinks per day or eight or more drinks per week for women.
While the research did not specifically investigate the reasons behind the rise in alcohol intake from 2018 to 2022, Lee suggests that the stress of the pandemic may have made alcohol use seem more acceptable. He also suspects that pandemic-related disruptions to education and work may have contributed to the increased alcohol consumption observed in adults aged 40-49.
Lee expressed hope that the findings will raise greater awareness on this pressing issue. “We urge healthcare professionals to conduct more screenings for harmful drinking and provide interventions for those at risk,” he stated.
Divya Ayyala-Somayajula, MD, from Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, served as the lead author of the study.
Additional contributors included Jennifer Dodge, MPH, an associate professor of research medicine at Keck School of Medicine of USC; Adam Leventhal, PhD, professor of public health sciences and director of the USC Institute for Addiction Science; and Norah Terrault, MD, a gastroenterologist at Keck Medicine and division chief of gastroenterology and liver diseases at the Keck School.
