OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to describe alcohol consumption and its changes in the Czech Republic during the period of governmental restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. To this goal, an overview of the governmental measures that may have affected alcohol consumption was compiled from various sources (mostly media reports). METHODS: The paper analyses three surveys where the group from Charles University, Prague, participated in design and execution: the European Study Group on Alcohol use and COVID-19 (ESAC) convenience online survey that (in Czechia) took place at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe, in April through June 2020 (n = 1,434), a computer-assisted web interviews (CAWI) survey carried out in November 2021 (n = 790), and another CAWI survey carried out in November 2022 (n = 1,738). These are complemented by a brief overview of official data on alcohol sales between 2019 and 2021 in Czechia from two sources, Ministry of Finance of the Czech Republic and the Nielsen IQ market research company. RESULTS: Changes in alcohol use appeared to be distributed among the population unequally, when the pandemic influenced different population groups in a different way. In all three surveys, the majority of respondents reported no change in their drinking frequency or quantity. Decreases in alcohol use were more prevalent than increases. Most pronounced changes were detected in at-risk drinkers, who have increased their alcohol use. Official revenue data suggest a small reduction in total alcohol sales in 2019-2021. CONCLUSIONS: Our research results do not support the hypothesis that substantial and unexpected social and economic changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, along with corresponding measures, acted as stressors that would have caused the majority of people in Czechia changing their behaviour related to alcohol use; however, high-risk users increased their consumption.

• Keywords
• COVID-19, Czech Republic, alcohol consumption, anti-epidemic regulations, pandemic, risk alcohol drinking,
• MeSH
• COVID-19 * epidemiology   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Pandemics MeSH
• Alcohol Drinking * epidemiology   MeSH
• Surveys and Questionnaires MeSH
• SARS-CoV-2 MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Aged MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Geographicals
• Czech Republic epidemiology   MeSH

INTRODUCTION: Research on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on alcohol sales and per capita consumption show mixed findings. The present study of alcohol sales in Czechia attempts to account for this heterogeneity by investigating three types of interventions: (i) limits on the movement of people into the country (i.e., tourism); (ii) social mobility and assembly restrictions; and (iii) restrictions on alcohol sales. METHODS: We used general additive models to assess the relationship between alcohol sales and COVID-19-related restrictions that were specific to alcohol outlets and general restrictions measured by the Government Response Stringency Index. New COVID-19 cases and the number of overnight stays by foreign tourists were also included in the models. RESULTS: The analysis of total sales revenues show that the overall amount of alcohol sold in the Czech Republic decreased due to the COVID-19 related measures and the decrease is best explained by the Government Response Stringency Index. We did not find any relationship between alcohol sales and the number of new COVID-19 cases. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The decline in total alcohol sales resulting from the COVID-19 restrictions was not just the result of reduced tourism and restrictions on physical availability of alcohol, but also of restrictions limiting social encounters. This should be considered in future research comparing the trends in different countries and incorporated into plans for controlling the spread of communicable diseases in future epidemics.

• Keywords
• COVID‐19, alcohol availability, alcohol sales, time series, tourism,
• MeSH
• Alcoholic Beverages * economics   MeSH
• Interrupted Time Series Analysis MeSH
• Travel MeSH
• COVID-19 * epidemiology   MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Commerce * trends   economics   statistics & numerical data   MeSH
• Pandemics MeSH
• Alcohol Drinking * epidemiology   economics   MeSH
• Tourism MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Geographicals
• Czech Republic epidemiology   MeSH

Restrictions related to COVID-19 changed the daily behavior of people, including the expression of violence. Although an increased incidence of violent behavior, especially domestic violence, was expected during the pandemic, retrospective analyses have yielded mixed results. Records of ambulance departures to address injuries caused by assaults in the Pilsen region, Czech Republic, during the restrictive measures during the national state of emergency were compared to data from 3 previous years using general linear models. The number and severity of assaults were analyzed for the whole sample and separately for patients of either sex, for residential or nonresidential locations, and for domestic violence. Controlling for the seasonal effects, the number of assaults decreased by 39% during the pandemic restrictions compared to the 3 previous years. No difference was found between the effects of restrictions on assaults resulting in an injury of a male or female patient. The decrease was specifically pronounced in the sample of assaults in nonresidential locations, while no effect of restrictions was observed in assaults in residential locations and domestic assaults. Pandemic restrictions were associated with a decreased incidence of violent assaults that required ambulance services. Although the incidence decreased especially in those assaulted outside of their homes, we found no support for an increase in domestic violence or violence against women. Pandemic restrictions may have served as a protective rather than a risk factor for assaults severe enough to warrant a call for ambulance services.

• Keywords
• COVID-19, aggression, ambulance, lockdown, violent assault,
• MeSH
• Aggression MeSH
• COVID-19 * epidemiology   MeSH
• Domestic Violence * MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Pandemics MeSH
• Retrospective Studies MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

Evidence suggests that changes in alcohol consumption during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic were unevenly distributed over consumer groups. We investigated possible inter-country differences in how changes in alcohol consumption are contingent on initial consumption (before or at the start of the pandemic), and how changes in consumption translate into possible changes in the prevalence of heavy drinking. We used data from the European Survey on Alcohol use and COVID-19 (ESAC) conducted in Czechia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, Poland, Spain, and the UK (N = 31921). Past-year alcohol consumption and changes in consumption were measured by AUDIT-C. Drinking habits were compared according to percentiles of pre-pandemic consumption levels, below versus above the 90th percentile. Across countries, drinkers in the highest 10% for pre-pandemic consumption increased their drinking during the pandemic, whereas absolute changes among those initially drinking below this level were modest. The percentage of people reporting >28 alcohol units/week increased significantly in seven of eight countries. During the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic, alcohol consumption in the upper decile of the drinkers increased as did the prevalence of heavy drinkers, in contrast with a declining consumption in other groups in the sample.

• Keywords
• COVID-19, Europe, alcohol consumption, comparison, heavy drinking, polarization, restrictions,
• MeSH
• COVID-19 * MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Alcoholic Intoxication * MeSH
• Pandemics MeSH
• Alcohol Drinking epidemiology   MeSH
• SARS-CoV-2 MeSH
• Check Tag
• Humans MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH

BACKGROUND: SARS-CoV-2 reached Europe in early 2020 and disrupted the private and public life of its citizens, with potential implications for substance use. The objective of this study was to describe possible changes in substance use in the first months of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Europe. METHODS: Data were obtained from a cross-sectional online survey of 36,538 adult substance users from 21 European countries conducted between April 24 and July 22 of 2020. Self-perceived changes in substance use were measured by asking respondents whether their use had decreased (slightly or substantially), increased (slightly or substantially), or not changed during the past month. The survey covered alcohol (frequency, quantity, and heavy episodic drinking occasions), tobacco, cannabis, and other illicit drug use. Sample weighted data were descriptively analysed and compared across substances. RESULTS: Across all countries, use of all substances remained unchanged for around half of the respondents, while the remainder reported either a decrease or increase in their substance use. For alcohol use, overall, a larger proportion of respondents indicated a decrease than those reporting an increase. In contrast, more respondents reported increases in their tobacco and cannabis use during the previous month compared to those reporting decreased use. No distinct direction of change was reported for other substance use. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest changes in use of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis during the initial months of the pandemic in several European countries. This study offers initial insights into changes in substance use. Other data sources, such as sales statistics, should be used to corroborate these preliminary findings.

• Keywords
• Alcohol, COVID-19, Cannabis, Europe, Substance use, Survey, Tobacco,
• MeSH
• Marijuana Abuse epidemiology   MeSH
• Alcoholism epidemiology   MeSH
• COVID-19 epidemiology   MeSH
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Pandemics MeSH
• Substance-Related Disorders epidemiology   MeSH
• Cross-Sectional Studies MeSH
• SARS-CoV-2 MeSH
• Socioeconomic Factors MeSH
• Check Tag
• Adult MeSH
• Middle Aged MeSH
• Humans MeSH
• Adolescent MeSH
• Young Adult MeSH
• Male MeSH
• Female MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Geographicals
• Europe epidemiology   MeSH