Resumen de Alcohol and drug consumption among drivers before and during the COVID-19 pandemic: an observational study

Maricla Marrone, Fortunato Pititto, Alessandra Stellacci, Simona Nicolì, Luigi Buongiorno, Benedetta Pia De Luca, Lucia Aventaggiato, Giuseppe Strisciullo, Biagio Solarino, Marcello Benevento

• Restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic might have changed recreational habits. In this study, the results of toxicological tests for alcohol and drugs in blood were compared among drivers stopped at roadside checks in the periods before (1 January 2018 to 8 March 2020) and after the lockdown measures (9 March 2020 to 31 December 2021). A total of 123 (20.7%) subjects had a blood alcohol level above the legal limit for driving of 0.5 g/L, 21 (3.9%) subjects tested positive for cocaine, and 29 (5.4%) subjects positive for cannabis. In the COVID-19 period, the mean blood alcohol level was significantly higher than in the previous period. Cannabis use, which was more frequent among younger subjects, was statistically associated with cocaine use. There has also been a quantitative increase in alcohol levels in the population with values above the legal limits, indicative of greater use of alcohol in the population predisposed to its intake.