The data from the Alcohol and Drug Foundation shows parents across Australia have been consuming more alcohol, more frequently, during the lockdown, with almost one in six saying they have been drinking every day.
It follows the earlier shocking revelation that online gambling had increased by an incredible 67% with weeks of our confinement.
In a survey of more than 1,000 parents, it was found that since the start of the lockdown period:
•More than one in four (29%) of parents had increased their alcohol intake, with millennial parents the most likely to be drinking more (35%), followed by Gen X parents (28%), then baby boomers (16%)
•Parents of nine to 12 -year-olds were found to be drinking the most, with one in 10 saying they were drinking “a lot more” following the introduction of coronavirus restrictions
•Impressionable nine to 12-year-olds were the most exposed to drinking, with almost a quarter of parents of this age group (23%) saying they have been consuming alcohol in front of their children daily or every other day during lockdown
•Almost two-fifths (38%) of Australian parents reported heightened levels of stress and anxiety as the reason for their increased alcohol intake, with one in four parents specifically pinpointing the challenges of home-schooling.
The data has been released to support a new campaign led by the Alcohol and Drug Foundation called ‘You haven’t been drinking alone’.
It encourages parents to consider how their drinking may have changed during lockdown, the implications it may be having on their own health and, importantly, how it may be influencing their children’s attitudes and behaviors.
The survey suggests one of the primary reasons for parents increased alcohol consumption during COVID-19 is heightened feelings of anxiety or stress.
The campaign calls on parents to reflect on their drinking behaviors in front of their children so young impressionable kids and adolescents do not learn to view alcohol as a coping mechanism or to think drinking alcohol is a healthy lifestyle choice.
The Alcohol and Drug Foundation report said it hoped the data would help parents assess how their drinking habits may have changed during lockdown - and “to use the loosening of restrictions as an opportunity to reassess and leave behind any harmful or negative drinking behaviors picked up during what has been an exceptional period.”
