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Dr Sarah Wadd, Director of the Substance Misuse and Ageing Research Team (SMART) at the Â鶹´«Ã½AV’s Institute of Applied Social Research (IASR), believes the current lockdown could stall or reverse the decade-long fall in the UK’s alcohol intake, leading to an increase in drinking. Amongst other health issues, chronic heavy-drinking may mean people are at increased risk of becoming seriously ill if infected by coronavirus.Ìý

Dr Sarah Wadd’s concerns have been published in a blog for Drink Wise Age Well – a National Lottery funded programme led by the charity – supported by findings taken from a about alcohol use in older adults across the UK, which she and her team conducted with almost 16,700 over-50s.

Discussing the points raised in her blog, she said: “Previous studies have shown a link between increased alcohol consumption during times of crisis and quarantine. Research into the 2003 SARS outbreak in Toronto found that being quarantined was associated with higher alcohol intake, whilst a survey during the global financial crisis of 2007/08 saw an increase in binge drinking culture.

“Our survey with Drink Wise Age Well showed that, in general, 44% of people drank alcohol at home to relax or take their mind off problems and just 3% drank when they were lonely or bored. However, when we focused on those with a higher risk level of drinking, 78% drank to relax or take their mind off problems and 42% drank when they were lonely or bored. This suggests drinking could increase during the Covid-19 pandemic because many at-risk people will find themselves forced to stay at home feeling vulnerable, worried and alone.�

Dr Sarah Wadd continued: “On the other hand, drinking to be sociable is another common reason for drinking among the over-50s, and so the Government’s advice to stay at home during the pandemic will mean that the inability to socialise may counterbalance the increase in drinking due to boredom or loneliness.�

Evaluated by the Â鶹´«Ã½AV’s SMART researchers and their academic partners, the Drink Wise Age Well programme aims to reduce alcohol harm in the over 50s through a number of activities and interventions, as well as providing virtual and telephone support.

Dr Sarah Wadd’s blog ‘How the Covid-19 pandemic may impact on alcohol use in the over 50s’ can be read in full here: