USF St. Pete professor: alcohol consumption higher during COVID-19
June 18, 2020 - More alcohol was consumed during the COVID-19 quarantine than before the lockdown, according to research by USF St. Petersburg psychology professor Lindsey Rodriguez. Results from Rodriguez's survey, which included responses from 754 people across the country, indicated that psychological distress caused by the pandemic is related to increased alcohol consumption. While both men and women increased their drinking frequency, women also reporting consuming more drinks per instance than before the pandemic. Rodriguez also found that people with children at home drank more during the lockdown than their child-free peers.