COVID AND ALCOHOL: A previously conducted study came to the conclusion that American drinkers each consumed 859 standard sized alcoholic drinks throughout 2020, equating to around 17 drinks per week.
DrugAbuse.com’s newest survey was conducted in 2021 utilizing information from 6,370 drinkers across America and found that overall, the average drinker consumed around 13 ‘standard sized drinks’ each week throughout 2021. This equates to 675 drinks in total for the year. When compared to figures from 2020, it was discovered that, on average, America as a nation drank less in 2021. More specifically, 18% less than 2020’s figure of 860 drinks per person.
On a more local level, Pennsylvanians drank 12 drinks per week or 608 standard sized drinks in 2021 — a 19% drop on the previous year. While in New York State residents drank 13 drinks per week or 685 drinks in 2021 — a 10 % drop from 2020.
When broken down across the US, New Mexicans drank the most alcohol in 2021 tallying in at an average of 15 drinks per week – or 787 per year. By comparison, those in South Dakota had just 10 drinks per week (520 per year), which was the lowest figure across the country.
It could be that changing circumstances in terms of the pandemic had an impact on Americans drinking less in 2021 than they did in 2020. Many people returned to work and life began settling into more of a pattern of normality compared to 2020.
A return to a more normal routine may have also had a positive impact on people’s overall mental health, therefore making them less likely to reach for alcohol in an attempt to numb any anxieties.
