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. 2020;26(6):309-315.
doi: 10.1159/000510822. Epub 2020 Sep 22.

Self-Reported Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Use during COVID-19 Lockdown Measures: Results from a Web-Based Survey

Nathalie Vanderbruggen  1 , Frieda Matthys  2 , Sven Van Laere  3 , Dieter Zeeuws  2 , Liesbeth Santermans  2 , Seline Van den Ameele  2 , Cleo L Crunelle  2   4
Affiliations

Self-Reported Alcohol, Tobacco, and Cannabis Use during COVID-19 Lockdown Measures: Results from a Web-Based Survey

Nathalie Vanderbruggen et al. Eur Addict Res. 2020.

Abstract

Background: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) has led to measures of social distancing and quarantine worldwide. This stressful period may lead to psychological problems, including increases in substance use.

Objective: To investigate changes in alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis consumption before and during COVID-19 lockdown and motives for these changes in substance use.

Method: A web-based survey was filled out by an unselected population during the social distancing measures of the COVID-19 pandemic in Belgium that assessed changes in alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis consumption in the period before and during the COVID-19 lockdown and also asked about reasons for change.

Results: A total of 3,632 respondents (mean age 42.1 ± 14.6 years; 70% female) filled out the survey. Overall, respondents reported consuming more alcohol (d = 0.21) and smoking more cigarettes (d = 0.13) than before the COVID-19 pandemic (both p < 0.001), while no significant changes in the consumption of cannabis were noted. The odds of consuming more alcohol during the lockdown were associated with younger age (OR = 0.981, p < 0.001), more children at home (OR = 1.220, p < 0.001), non-healthcare workers (p < 0.001), and being technically unemployed related to COVID-19 (p = 0.037). The odds of smoking more cigarettes during the lockdown were associated with younger age (OR = 0.988, p = 0.027), current living situation (p < 0.001), lower education (p = 0.015), and working situation related to COVID-19 (p = 0.018). Boredom, lack of social contacts, loss of daily structure, reward after a hard-working day, loneliness, and conviviality were the main reasons for consuming more of the various substances.

Conclusions: During the lockdown, individuals consumed slightly more alcohol and smoked marginally more cigarettes compared to the period before the lockdown. Further research focussing on follow-up of individuals at risk may be useful to provide appropriate care in post-COVID times.

Keywords: Alcohol; Cannabis; Coronavirus disease 19; Motives; Nicotine; Substance use; Survey.

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Conflict of interest statement

C.L.C. has received lecture fees from Takeda and GME. F.M. received honoraria from Lundbeck, Eli Lilly, and Johnson & Johnson. None were related with this research. The other authors have nothing to declare.

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