Alcohol use has increased across the U.S. during the pandemic, but it has increased dramatically among people with the disorder in Arizona and remains at high levels.
National testing lab Millennium Health compared 430,000 urine tests carried out between 2019 and 2023.
“Most of the clinicians ordering these tests are experts in treating substance use disorders,” said Eric Dawson, vice president of clinical affairs and author of the study.
He said alcohol detection rates for alcoholics have risen 20 percent nationwide and by 60 percent in Arizona.
“Although I was initially very frustrated, disappointed and even saddened given the alarming nature of these trends, I can’t say I was surprised,” he said.
Dawson said the combination of anxiety, grief, isolation, job loss and mental and physical health issues associated with the pandemic, along with policies expanding takeaway and delivery of alcohol, created a perfect storm for many people with alcohol use disorders.
“With this population, we see very high rates of drug use, including cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana and many other drugs,” Dawson said, “which not only puts that individual at even greater risk, but also increases the challenges that treatment providers face.”
Among people with alcohol use disorder, those over 55 are seeing the biggest increases in use, he said.
“This is of particular concern to older adults as they are particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of alcohol consumption,” Dawson said.
Dawson said the alcohol use and pandemic-related increases were similar for men and women, “which is another concerning finding as women tend to suffer greater and earlier alcohol-related harm than men.”
New England and the South Atlantic are two regions where the study found lower rates of alcohol use among people with disabilities, and Dawson hopes that researchers and clinicians in those regions will share information that can help explain the differences.
“We must always remember that people can and do recover. I hear these stories every day,” he said, “and these stories are what keep me going.”
In Arizona, Millennium Health analyzed more than 16,000 urine tests, primarily in Maricopa, Pima and Pinal counties.
