Americans Over 30 Have Increased Their Alcohol Consumption Amid COVID-19, Research Shows. The report was published in the journal 'JAMA Network Open.'. Findings are based on surveys completed by 1,540 people between the ages of 30 to 80. Participants completed a survey about their drinking habits in both 2019 and 2020. Researchers found that in 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. the overall frequency of alcohol consumption among participants increased by 14 percent. . Participants reported an increase in the number of days a week they drank. . They also reported increases in the number of drinks, number of heavy drinking days and number of alcohol-related problems. . Among women, the frequency of drinking increased by 17 percent, with heavy drinking in particular increasing by 41 percent. . The frequency of drinking among people age 30 to 59 increased by 19 percent. Among White people, that frequency , increased by 10 percent. . According to Dr. Paul Earley, president of the American Society of Addiction Medicine, the pandemic has created the “perfect storm” for substance use disorders. . It's very clear that when people are under more stress, they respond to the stress with increasing alcohol consumption … , Dr. Paul Earley, via CNN. ... This is the kind of thing that could push people who wouldn't normally have an issue over the edge, Dr. Paul Earley, via CNN

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