?:abstract
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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% CI: -0 013 - -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: 0 001-0 004, 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 - -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
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