Studies show connection between Economic Hardship and Heavy Alcohol Consumption
The future of the American Economy is uncertain to say the least. In the latest figures released by the United States Department of Labor over 6.6 million people filed for unemployment in a single week. According to the Department of Labor: “The COVID-19 virus continues to impact the number of initial claims and its impact is also reflected in the increasing levels of insured unemployment.”
The coronavirus has brought many aspects of the economy to a halt. With only essential employees being allowed to leave for work and some companies lacking the capacity for their employees to work from home, more and more have sought relief through state and federal help. One of the greatest fears rippling throughout the country is that there is no exact end in sight. Even once social distancing restrictions have eased, the prospects for a booming economy are seeming further and further from reality. This kind of economic uncertainty breeds things like an increase in alcohol consumption.
A look at the Great Recession shows us that economic loss can have a direct impact on alcohol consumption. In their paper “Economic Loss and Alcohol Consumption and Problems during the 2008-9 U.S. Recession” doctors used the 2009-10 National Alcohol Survey to determine that there was an increase in alcohol consumption when there was “severe economic loss.” Severe economic loss was defined as the loss of a job or housing loss. The results were shocking. According to the paper, women who were greatly affected by the recession including job loss or loss of their retirement savings “consumed 41-70% more alcohol than women unaffected by the recession.” This was accompanied by “older adults who lost retirement savings drank 42% more alcohol than their peers unaffected by the recession.”
Unfortunately, the prospects look grim for a sudden rebound of the economy once we find some sort of normalcy. It is important to reach out if you are struggling with alcohol or drugs. Now more than ever, you may need support to get you through these trying times.
Read the full article here “Economic Loss and Alcohol Consumption and Problems during the 2008-9 U.S. Recession.”
Citation: Mulia N, Zemore SE, Murphy R, Liu H, Catalano R. Economic loss and alcohol consumption and problems during the 2008 to 2009 U.S. recession. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2014;38(4):1026–1034. doi:10.1111/acer.12301