There was no general wave of alcohol consumption in Hungary during the Covid–19 epidemic – this is revealed by a recently presented, representative survey, which was conducted by the InfoRádió asked Imré Fertő, a university professor at Corvinus University of Budapest. The research was not originally designed specifically for the pandemic, but the epidemic as a specific stress situation provided an opportunity to examine how consumption habits change in a crisis situation.
One of the surprising findings of the research is that 50% of respondents said they do not drink alcohol at all, while only 3% indicated that they had increased their alcohol consumption due to Covid. At the same time, Imre Fertő highlighted that in a representative sample, this 3% represents approximately 300 thousand people, which can be interpreted as a significant social risk.
The most vulnerable group included those who experienced financial difficulties during the epidemic. According to the survey, alcohol consumption was also more likely to increase among the elderly, women and those with small children; among the latter, especially those who had previously consumed alcohol – for them it may have been an “additional way of relieving stress” during the pandemic.
The novelty of the research is that the increase in alcohol consumption experienced in stressful situations can also be influenced by values: for those for whom power and status are important values, consumption was more likely to increase. According to the authors, this confirms the need for targeted anti-alcohol campaigns in prevention, because not all social groups respond to the same messages.
There is currently no data on changes in the post-epidemic period; according to Imre Fertő, another study is planned that would allow for comparison.
