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Most Americans claim to drink responsibly in lockdown

The majority (86%) of US adults are confident they are consuming alcohol responsibly at home during the coronavirus lockdown, according to a new survey.

The majority (86%) of adults are confident they drink responsibly, the poll found

Not-for-profit organisation Responsibility.org commissioned the survey of 1,000 adults aged over 18 from 4-5 May through research firm APCO Insight. The online poll looked at how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected drinking habits.

It found that 33% of respondents are drinking about the same at home and 28% are drinking less (including 11% who have quit drinking entirely).

For those drinking less, consumers said the reason was down to bars (38%) and restaurants (33%) being closed during the pandemic.

The majority (86%) of adults are confident they drink responsibly, with close to half (45%) reporting extreme confidence by rating 10 on a 0-10 scale.

The Covid-19 crisis has not increased alcohol consumption during working hours for 84% of respondents. A third (33%) claimed to never drink during working hours, 21% are drinking less or have stopped drinking, and 30% are consuming the same amount of alcohol as before the pandemic.

Nearly all of those surveyed (94%) living with children said it was important to talk to kids about the dangers of underage drinking.

Almost half of those living with children (48%) think it is even more important to talk about underage drinking now than before the pandemic.

The survey also found that the number of consumers who reported drinking any alcohol in the last 30 days increased from 71% to 79%, compared to the same time last year.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has upended many Americans’ lives and habits, but this survey shows most Americans are choosing to drink responsibly despite the stress of these unprecedented times,” said Chris Swonger, president and CEO, Distilled Spirits Council of the United States (Discus) and Responsibility.org.

“Adults who choose to drink should always do so responsibly, never drive drunk or impaired, and it is especially important for parents to model responsible decision making in front of children.”

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