When a Covid-19 special edition of the Global Drug Survey was released last week, it’s probably no surprise that two in five Australians reported drinking more alcohol during lockdown, while the same proportion said they were drinking less.

The report’s co-lead researcher Dr Monica Barratt from RMIT University said the results provide a snapshot of changed drug use patterns, drug markets and other drug-related trends during the pandemic based on over 55,000 surveys, including 1,889 in Australia.

Speaking in relation to the Australian sample, Dr Barratt said drinkers who reported having a diagnosed mental health condition were more likely to report increasing their drinking compared to February, before COVID-19 restrictions.

“Twice as many drinkers reported drinking alone with friends who were connected through video/audio calls or 'watch parties', compared to the 12 months before COVID-19,” Prof Barratt said.

“Almost half of the sample who reporting drinking alone said they were drinking alone more often compared to before the pandemic.

“Around half of the sample who reported cannabis use said it had increased compared to February.

“Over half also reported that they are now more likely to consume cannabis alone compared to February.

“Of those who used illicit drugs in the previous 12 months, MDMA and cocaine were the most likely to have decreased compared to February, with lack of access to normal settings of use (like nightclubs, festivals, parties) being the most common reason for the change.

“Drug market shifts were reported too: including half of the Australian respondents saying availability of illegal drugs had decreased, one third reporting increases in drug prices, and one in five reporting decreased drug purity.

“Of those who did access illegal drugs during March–June 2020, most (64%) reported there was no change in the drug transaction.

“Only a few reported signs of a constricted drug market when profiling their last drug purchase, such as higher price (8%), difficulty finding a supplier (6%) or taking longer than usual to get the drugs (6%).”

The Global Drug Survey COVID-19 Special Edition was co-led by Dr Monica Barratt of RMIT University and Professor Adam Winstock of University College London, in collaboration with Associate Professor Jason Ferris of University of Queensland