More than half of people who say they have been drinking more during lockdown are doing so as a way to handle stress, a new survey finds.

Alcohol Focus Scotland has expressed concerns that lockdown habits may linger if people are unable to access support.

The survey commissioned by the charity and Alcohol Change UK found that in Scotland people who were already drinking at high levels before the pandemic were more likely to be consuming more during lockdown.

Overall more than a quarter of respondents – 27% – said they were drinking more than usual, but this increased to 33% for heavy drinkers. Dealing with stress or anxiety was cited by one in five respondents as a reason for their increased drinking, while nearly half of those who said they were drinking more felt concerned at how much they were consuming.

The amount a family member or friend had been drinking was a source of worry for around a fifth of survey participants.

“Stress was identified as a key factor for many and unfortunately these stresses aren’t necessarily going to go away with the easing of lockdown restrictions,” says Alison Douglas, chief executive of Alcohol Focus Scotland.

“Many people are worrying about going back to work, their children returning to school, or concerned about using public transport. Some may not have a job to return to, creating additional uncertainty at an already difficult time.”

Just over half of those who said they were drinking more said they had already taken steps to manage their drinking and nearly 60% said they planned to do so once lockdown restrictions relaxed more.

Ms Douglas added: “While it is encouraging to hear that people who have been drinking more during lockdown are planning to take action to reduce their intake, it can be hard to change habits once they are established.

“It can be tempting to have a drink to ‘take the edge off’ our worries but alcohol is a depressant that can increase our anxiety and disrupt our sleep, making it more difficult to deal with stress.  

“We need to make sure that people can get ready access to the help they need to address patterns of drinking which may place them at increased risk of illness - including of coronavirus complications – and put more pressure on our health services.

“Alcohol services, which were already hard-pressed before this crisis, may experience even greater demand after it.”

Alongside support services, the momentum that had been building before the pandemic behind efforts to restrict the availability of alcohol must not be lost, the charity chief executive warns.

Scotland’s minimum unit pricing policy – designed to tackle the most harmful levels of drinking by hiking the cost of cheap alcohol – has been praised by the World Health Organisation in recent weeks.

But many are worried the pandemic could undo what has been achieved so far.

Charity Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs (SFAAD) – who provide support for anyone concerned about someone else’s drinking or drug use – say that since March they have experienced unprecedented numbers of calls to their helpline with people seeking support for themselves and their loved ones.

Justina Murray, chief executive of SFAAD, said, “The number of people contacting our helpline during lockdown has been twice the level for the same period last year (mid-March to mid-July).

“This includes a four-fold increase in people contacting us with concerns about their own substance use, as well as a 56% increase in contact from family members concerned about others.

“Lockdown has brought tremendous pressures on families affected by their loved ones’ drinking, with alcohol consumption increasing, consumption within the home increasing, and many of the usual support mechanisms not available to families during this period.”

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