When the pubs closed: beer consumption before and after the first and second waves of COVID-19 in Australia

Aims: Restrictions to alcohol availability during the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia included closures of businesses where alcohol is sold for on-premises consumption (pubs, bars, restaurants and cafes), but not where alcohol is sold for off-premises consumption (take-away and home delivery). This study aimed to compare beer consumption before and after restrictions to alcohol availability during the first and second waves of COVID-19 in Australia. Design: Interrupted time–series analysis. Setting: Australia. Participants: Estimated resident population aged 15+ years. Measurements: Seasonally adjusted estimates of beer per capita consumption measured in litres of alcohol (LALs) per week, disaggregated by on- and off-premises sales. Findings: First-wave restrictions (week beginning 23 March 2020) were associated with a significant immediate reduction in on-premises beer per capita consumption [−0.013 LALs, 95% confidence interval (CI) = −0.013 to –0.012, P = < 0.001], but no significant change in off-premises beer per capita consumption. Partial removal of first-wave restrictions (week beginning 18 May 2020) was associated with a significant immediate increase in on-premises beer per capita consumption (+0.003 LALs, 95% CI = 0.001 to 0.004, P = 0.006), but no significant change in off-premises beer per capita consumption. Second-wave restrictions (week beginning 06 July 2020) were associated with a significant immediate reduction in on-premises beer per capita consumption (−0.004 LALs, 95% CI = −0.006 to –0.002, P = 0.001) but, again, no significant change in off-premises beer per capita consumption. Conclusion: Restricting the availability of on-premises alcohol during the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia was associated with significant reductions in on-premises beer consumption, but no significant changes in off-premises beer consumption.