An Iowa State University study finds nearly two-thirds of women surveyed admit they’re drinking more alcohol, more frequently, since the onset of the pandemic. Susan Stewart, an I-S-U professor of sociology, says she found coronavirus-related anxiety and women’s social and demographic characteristics brought more daily drinking, drinking earlier in the day, and binge drinking.

“It’s really troubling because drinking among women had already been on the rise for a number of years.  And their levels of drinking are now almost matching those of men.  I don’t think that’s gotten a lot of attention that drinking even more than that is their real concern.”

Stewart says there are persistent barriers to women getting treatment for alcohol overuse, such as concerns that they could lose custody of their children.  That further complicates the troubling trend of women’s increased alcohol use.