New data released by the Alcohol and Drug Foundation shows almost one in six Australian parents say they have been drinking every day since the restrictions came into effect.
Echuca parent Nina* can attest to this after the “social drinker” started consuming up to three glasses of wine a day during the COVID-19 lock-down.
“I was buying three or four bottles a week. And that was just on weekdays,” she said.
“I was drinking even more on weekends.”
The data also found 38 per cent of parents reported heightened levels of stress and anxiety as the reason for their increased alcohol intake, with one in four parents specifically pinpointing the challenges of homeschooling.
Nina agreed, saying alcohol had become a coping mechanism.
“Working full-time from home as well as having three children remote learning from home became so stressful, I felt anxious on a daily basis,” she said.
“I would look at the clock, counting down the hours until 5 pm so I could pour myself a drink just to relax. After one glass, I would have another and, all of a sudden, the bottle was empty.”
The research found children in the impressionable 9 to 12 years age group were the most exposed to drinking, with almost a quarter of parents of this age group saying they had been drinking in front of their children daily or every other day during lock-down.
Nina said she became so ashamed by her drinking habits she would pour alcohol into a coffee mug so her children wouldn’t know what she was drinking.
“I didn’t want them to think drinking every day was normal,” she said.
Alcohol and Drug Foundation chief executive Erin Lalor said although many parents drank to alleviate stress and anxiety, it actually made those feelings worse.
“While many parents have been using alcohol as a coping mechanism, it is important to understand that exposure to regular or excessive drinking can influence children’s attitudes and future behaviours around alcohol, alongside increasing the parent’s risk of accidents, injuries, dependence and diseases like cancer,” she said.
“If you are feeling stressed or anxious, it’s best to avoid drinking alcohol because it can make these feelings worse. It’s also essential children don’t learn to view alcohol as a coping mechanism or to think drinking alcohol is a healthy lifestyle choice.
“To reduce the risk of harm from alcohol-related injury or disease such as cancer, the draft national guidelines recommend people consume no more than 10 standard drinks per week and no more than four standard drinks on any day.”
With restrictions easing and her children now back at school, Nina said she was cutting back on her alcohol intake.
“Every morning I felt guilty by how much I was drinking and I knew it wasn’t healthy,” she said.
“More importantly, it wasn’t healthy for my kids to see. I needed to be a more positive role model for them.
“I’ve started meditating to help with my anxiety levels and instead of reaching for the bottle at 5 pm, I’ll go for a walk instead.”
The ADF launched a new community health initiative, ‘You haven’t been drinking alone’, which aims to encourage parents to consider how their drinking may have changed during lock-down, implications it may be having on their own health and, importantly, how it may be influencing their children.
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