The article by Grossman et al. titled “Alcohol Consumption during the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-sectional Survey of US Adults” raises the topic of increasing adherence to alcoholic beverages during the coronavirus pandemic. This scientific work did not surprise me, as I noted from personal experience that an increasing number of people acquired this bad habit during the lockdown.
Grossman et al. (2020) underlined that “reasons for increased drinking included increased stress (45.7%), increased alcohol availability (34.4%), and boredom (30.1%)” (p. 1). In addition, the authors indicated that there are no differences in alcohol consumption between gender, race, nationality, or culture. These indicators clearly show the impact of the pandemic and lockdown, during which people were often at home, experiencing stress due to loneliness, uncertainty, boredom, and lack of communication. I believe that functionalism can provide the most valuable insight into the social problem of alcohol and drug abuse growth. The uniqueness of this approach is due to the fact that adherence to these addictions can be the result of dysfunction in society. It is stated that “when individuals experience periods of economic or psychological stress, they often consume more alcohol, resulting in increased symptoms of alcohol abuse and alcohol dependence” (Grossman et al., 2020, p. 3).
In particular, this was clearly seen during the spread of the coronavirus, when the global disease disrupted normal social activities and locked people in their homes. Moreover, one of the consequences was the strengthening of uncertainty, leading some individuals to turn to substance abuse as a way of coping with stress and anxiety. Therefore, many people are faced with the problem of the emergence or deterioration of these bad habits.
Reference
Grossman, E. R., Benjamin-Neelon, S. E., & Sonnenschein, S. (2020). Alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional survey of US adults. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(24). Web.