Around the world, alc0h0l has long been a part of social customs and leisure pursuits. It’s frequently hard to picture social situations without alc0h0l, whether they be sporting events, concerts, parties, or family get-togethers.
But the Covid-19 pandemic, which upended many facets of life, also revealed a concerning pattern: alcohol use increased throughout the pandemic and continues to be alarmingly high years later.
According to a recent study led by Dr. Brian Lee, a transplant hepatologist at the University of Southern California, and published in the Annals of Internal Medicine on November 12, 2023, alcohol consumption in the US has increased steadily since the pandemic.
These results raise issues around the world, particularly in nations like South Africa where binge drinking—a habit of consuming excessive amounts of alcohol-is prevalent.
In Lee’s study, drinking habits from 2018–2020 and 2022 were examined using data from the National Health Interview Survey.
The findings present a clear picture. In 2018, 66.34% of Americans said they had consumed alc0h0l within the previous 12 months. This percentage rose to 69% by 2020 and then to 69.3% by 2022, a tiny rise.
Additionally, heavy drinking—which is characterized as binge drinking or excessive weekly consumption—rose from 5.1% in 2018 to 6.13% in 2020 and 6.3% in 2022.
The increase among women is especially concerning; in 2022, 6.45% of women reported heavy drinking, compared to 6.1% of men, indicating a change in drinking habits that have historically been associated with gender.
Studies conducted in other nations reveal comparable patterns, proving that these trends are not just present in the US.
