One in five Canadians drinking more during pandemic: poll

One in five Canadians has found comfort during these unprecedented times at the bottom of a bottle.

A Nanos poll commissioned by the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) found that 20 per cent of Canadians who drink alcohol and are staying home more due to the pandemic have been drinking every day since the beginning of May.

According to the findings, 11.7 per cent of women reported having four or more drinks on days during which they drank, while 11.7 per cent of men reported having five or more drinks on days during which they drank.

However, while some Canadians have been drinking more during the pandemic, it’s not the majority–80  per cent of respondents said their alcohol consumption hasn’t changed much as a result of the pandemic.

“It is reassuring to see that for the majority of Canadians alcohol use has either decreased or remained stable since the onset of COVID-19,” Catherine Paradis, senior research and policy analyst at CCSA, said in a news release.

“However, from a gender perspective, there is concern. On average, female consumers of alcohol are reporting 2.4 alcoholic drinks per occasion–which is above the low-risk alcohol drinking guidelines–and about 12 per cent are reporting they consume alcohol in excess when they drink. By doing so, women are putting themselves at risk for short- and long-term negative health consequences,” she continued.

When it comes to the motivation behind why some have recently taken to drinking more frequently, the two most popular reasons were stress and boredom.