Many People Using Alcohol to Cope With Stress of Coronavirus Pandemic: Experts

Many people are coping with the stress of the coronavirus pandemic by increasing their alcohol consumption, experts tell The Washington Post.

“We are seeing more people using alcohol as a way to cope with the anxiety and stress and uncertainty of this situation,” said C. Vaile Wright, Director of Clinical Research and Quality in the Practice Directorate for the American Psychological Association. “I think a lot of people use it to numb out. While that’s certainly a very human response to what’s going on right now, it’s generally not the best way of managing stress.”

The market research firm Nielsen reported off-premises sales of alcoholic beverages across the United States rose 55% in the week ending March 21. Sales increased the most for tequila, gin and premixed cocktails, followed by wine and then beer.