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Like virus, alcohol drinking on the rise

As the coronavirus outbreak and stay-at-home orders spread, so did alcohol consumption.

Ward Greenberg, an American lawyer working in Germany, said he was going to give up drinking temporarily for lent, but when the coronavirus pandemic hit, he decided it would be sufficient to stay dry just on weeknights. But he soon decided five nights without a drink was too many.

"Now it's no drinking midweek - so Wednesdays are dry," he said.

Kelly James, a content specialist for a digital marketing company outside of Chicago, said the stress of "home schooling" her 10-year-old daughter and 14-year-old son has her imbibing a couple of glasses of wine a night. In the past, she rarely drank on weeknights.

She also said she's an extrovert who thrives on connection, and the lack of human contact beyond her children has been a big challenge for her.

"I am walking, staying connected with friends and practicing gratitude, but for now the wine is a crutch to get me through a challenging situation," she said. "Is it ideal? Nope. But right now it's one of a handful of tools in my tool kit - along with healthier ones I mentioned - I'm going to use."

The extreme worry and isolation sparked by the coronavirus pandemic is likely leading many people to increase their consumption of beer, wine and hard alcohol, experts say. A recent survey by the market research firm Nielsen reported off-premises sales of alcoholic beverages across the U.S. had grown 55% in the week ending March 21, said John Bodnovich, executive director of the American Beverage Licensees, which represents about 13,000 bars, taverns, restaurants and package stores. Some of that growth may be due to bars and restaurants now being closed in many places.

Stress is a common trigger for drinking, said C. Vaile Wright, director of clinical research and quality in the Practice Directorate for the American Psychological Association, and this pandemic has led to an unprecedented period of stress.

"We are seeing more people using alcohol as a way to cope with the anxiety and stress and uncertainty of this situation," she said. "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."

For one thing, alcohol is a depressant, both physically and mentally, so those already prone to depression or sadness may find those feelings exacerbated by drinking, she said.

And it can actually increase one's anxiety, because it interferes with the ability to get quality sleep at night, Wright said.

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