P-10 THE EFFECTS OF CHILEAN RESPONSE TO COVID-19 ON ALCOHOL CONSUMERS: A NATURAL POLICY EXPERIMENT

Introduction and Objectives

Alcohol consumption is a leading public health challenge in Chile. The country's response to COVID-19 was an exceptional simulation of the WHO´s SAFER initiative to reduce alcohol-related harm. We hypothesize that policies to control COVID-19 affected alcohol consumption in Chile. This study aimed to analyze the Chilean prevalence of alcohol consumption during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Materials and Methods

We reviewed two cross-sectional surveys with non-probabilistic samples from the Chilean National Service for the Prevention and Rehabilitation of Drug and Alcohol Consumption (SENDA) conducted on adults in June 2020 (15,280 responses) and April to June 2021 (22,121 responses). A description of alcohol consumption status was performed, stratifying by sex, age, and educational level. We performed binary logistic regressions to explore associations between demographics and alcohol consumption.

Results

Almost 40% of respondents decreased their alcohol consumption, while 20% increased it. Youth and lower educational levels were associated with reduced consumption, while older age was associated with increased intake. The main reason for the reduction was fewer consumption opportunities. Among those who increased consumption, mental health was attributed as the main cause Web-based sales emerged as an alternative access to alcoholic beverages.

Conclusions

The restriction on access to alcoholic beverages seems to be a successful strategy to dissuade alcohol consumption among young people. However, web-based sales, home delivery, and mental health conditions might undermine these effects.