ArticleDrug and alcohol review2020
The impact of nationwide alcohol ban during the COVID-19 lockdown on alcohol use-related internet searches and behaviour in India: An infodemiology study.
Article in Drug and alcohol review, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed, 23 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of direct-to-consumer alcohol home delivery policies on alcohol-related online searches in the United States from 2019 to 2023: A Google Trends study.Preventive medicine reports · 2025Article
- Alcohol use disorder research in India: An update.Indian journal of psychiatry · 2024Review
- Attributed causes of excess mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic in a south Indian city.Nature communications · 2023Article
- The behaviour of alcohol-dependent drinkers of spirits during level 4 COVID-19 lockdown in Auckland, New Zealand.Drug and alcohol review · 2022Article
- Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown on alcohol use disorders and complications.Current opinion in psychiatry · 2021Review
- Review
- Alcohol and Tobacco Use in a Tuberculosis Treatment Cohort during South Africa's COVID-19 Sales Bans: A Case Series.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2021Article
- Trends in deaths attributable to suicide during COVID-19 pandemic and its association with alcohol use and mental disorders: Findings from autopsies conducted in two districts of India.Asian journal of psychiatry · 2021Article
- Understanding Domestic Violence in India During COVID-19: a Routine Activity Approach.Asian journal of criminology · 2021Article
- Celebrity drug use reporting in Indian media and its impact on drug-related online search behavior: An infodemiology study.Indian journal of psychiatryArticle
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION AND
aimsTo control the spread of COVID-19, India imposed a nationwide lockdown in phases including lockdown 1.0 (25 March-14 April) and 2.0 (15 April-3 May). Among other restrictions, it involved a complete ban of alcohol sales. We aimed to examine and interpret the changes in online search interest for keywords representing different alcohol-related themes during the lockdown period in India. DESIGN AND
methodsData were extracted using the framework described for using Google Trends in health-related research. The list of alcohol-related search queries was prepared for four broad themes: types of alcoholic beverages consumed; means of accessing alcohol; problems experienced due to break in alcohol supply; and help-seeking for alcohol use disorders. The mean relative search volumes across three time periods (pre-lockdown; lockdown 1.0; lockdown 2.0) were compared using spss version 23.0.
resultsA significant increase in online search interest for keywords related to the procurement of alcohol was observed in lockdown 1.0 but not during lockdown 2.0, compared with pre-lockdown. A significant increase in online search interest for alcohol withdrawal was observed during lockdown 1.0 compared to the pre-lockdown period. A significant increase in online search interest for keywords representing benzodiazepines was observed in lockdown 2.0. DISCUSSION AND
conclusionsIndian internet users exhibited significantly increased online interest for alcohol-related searches during lockdown. It seems that the challenges associated with offering interventions for alcohol use-related problems are likely to continue once the lockdown is lifted and people have the option to access alcohol and treatment services freely.
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