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The findings have been described as \u2018alarming\u2019, saying Brits were using the bottle as a \u2018crutch\u2019 (Picture: Getty Images)Britain is the only country in Europe which got through coronavirus lockdowns by drinking more alcohol, new research suggests.
\nConsumption increased in only the UK \u2013 remaining the same in Ireland and decreasing in all other countries.
\nScientists have described the findings as \u2018alarming\u2019, saying British people were using the bottle as a \u2018crutch\u2019.
\nLead author Carolin Kilian, an epidemiologist at Dresden University of Technology, said fear of job losses may be behind the increase.
\n\u2018Of all the countries examined in our project, only the UK reported a significant average increase in alcohol consumption,\u2019 she said.
\n\u2018Given this general picture, the increase in the UK and the largely unchanged consumption in Ireland seem to be an alarming anomaly.\u2019
\nShe said particularly high levels of distress could trigger a wider adoption of alcohol as a \u2018coping strategy\u2019.
\nHigh earners were also more likely to drink more than those on lower incomes.<\/p>\n
Consumption increased in only the UK, remaining the same in Ireland and decreasing in all other countries (Picture: Getty Images \/ iStockphoto)<\/p>\n
It is thought a fear of job losses may be behind the increase (Picture: Getty Images)PhD student Ms Kilian added: \u2018The increase in alcohol consumption in the UK could relate to a combination of the pressure on the national health system resulting from the severity of the Covid-19 pandemic with changes in the accessibility and availability of support services.\u2019
\nIt comes after sales of wine, beer and spirits soared by almost a third in the first lockdown in the UK.
\nBritain was also the only European country where off-licences were allowed to stay open. A loosening of policies to allow home delivery and online purchases may also have increased drinking at home.
\nThe findings are based on around 32,000 adults who reported their alcohol consumption in the last year.
\nParticipants were asked if their frequency of drinking occasions, quantityconsumed and amount of bingeing had altered during the past month.
\nMore: Coronavirus<\/p>\n
It enabled the team to work out a \u2018consumption-change score\u2019.
\nMs Kilian said: \u2018In almost all countries, the consumption-change score indicated alcohol use to decrease on average; except in Ireland and the UK, where alcohol consumption on average remained unchanged or increased, respectively.\u2019
\nThe survey included 836 participants in the UK and 493 in Ireland, but the researchers admitted more in-depth studies on alcohol use during the coronavirus crisis are required.
\nThe researchers have identified alcohol as an important risk factor for poor physical and mental health, and say its consumption is prone to change in stressful times like a pandemic.
\nMs Kilian added it may relieve the stress of social isolation, insecurity and financial difficulties.
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