As the pandemic rages on, Americans, especially women, are consuming more and more alcohol. One recent study found that binge drinking among women, meaning four drinks within two hours, has gone way up.
Just about every night since the coronavirus pandemic began, Sherita Rankins has enjoyed a glass of wine. Or two, or maybe even three.
“Like most people, I picked up a bottle of wine to cope,” she told Inside Edition with a laugh. “It was a way to kind of cope with the pandemic. It's like, as long as you just keep pouring a little more, everything is gonna be OK.”
The 37-year-old New Yorker even started posting about it in an Instagram series she calls “Wine O’clock” “I’m gonna feature the wine’s I’m drinking every day,” she said.
Rankins isn’t alone. As the pandemic rages on, Americans, especially women, are consuming more and more alcohol. One recent study found that binge drinking among women, meaning four drinks within two hours, has gone way up.
Rankins now consumes three to five bottles of wine a week. This receipt shows one recent purchase: the delivery of 17 bottles from her local liquor store.
“Normally you have an early morning meeting, and you’re like, got to get to bed early so I can be fresh in the morning,” she said. “I have no place to be in the morning, so I’m like, ‘ah, I’ll have another glass or two, that’ll work.’”
Addiction specialist Lin Sternlicht says the pandemic has created a perfect storm for women.
“Women are more likely to juggle household responsibilities, more likely to juggle homeschooling and remote learning while they're maintaining their jobs, so it's a lot of added stress and obligation, which leads to increase in drinking,” Sternlicht said.
She advises people to cut back.
“Take a group challenge or set personal limits,” she said. “Find other ways to induce pleasure, feelings of satisfaction. like, are you meditating? Are you journaling? Are you taking baths to really engage in self-care?”
Rankins is listening.
“I don't want to make this a pattern for the rest of my life because at some point, things are going to open back up and [I] will have to get up at 7 o’clock in the morning every day,” she said.
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