The study was conducted by the University of Glasgow in conjunction with Public Health Scotland.
A joint study by the University of Glasgow and Public Health Scotland found that alcohol sales of pure alcohol per adult fell by 6% during the period between mid-March and mid-July 2020. Although there was a rise in the amount of alcohol being bought via off-sales, an increase of 28% in Scotland and 29% in England, this was not enough to counteract the impact of closing bars and restaurants.
The public health minister for Scotland, Mairi Gougeon, told the Times that the report shows a “welcome reduction” in the consumption of alcohol in Scotland, however pointed out that “lower levels of consumption overall can sometimes mask the alcohol intake of individuals”. In line with Ms Gougeon’s statement, the research did show that there was an increase of 35% in people who said they would drink on their own in Scotland.
Daniel Mackay, professor of Public Health Informatics at the University of Glasgow, said researchers had taken into account “underlying trends, seasonal patterns and factors such as household income and other drink types” when undertaking their study.
