CHANGES IN BEHAVIORS OF ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION IN THE CONTEXT OF QUARANTINE FOR COVID-19. A STUDY IN THE BUENOS AIRES METROPOLITAN AREA (ARGENTINA)

In this paper, we analyze the changes in behaviors of alcohol consumption of people under the preventive and obligatory social isolation (quarantine) in the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area (Argentina) We developed an online self-administered survey to 4,613 people aged 18 years or more 45% reported having increased the consumption of alcoholic beverages during the quarantine Those who have increased the most are adults (35 to 54 years old) The reasons for the increase include more free time, the emotional impact of quarantine and the lack of a stable routine Regarding the frequency of consumption, the number of those who do not drink alcohol doubled and the number of people who drink every day tripled Despite these changes, 9 out of 10 people who reported drinking more during the quarantine do not believe that this affects their health, ties or work Among those who reduced their consumption, we found the youngest (18 to 24 years old) and regarding their reasons, 7 out of 10 justified it due to the lack of outings and social events