Differences in Medication Prescribing for Tobacco and Alcohol Dependence Before, During, and After the Recent Pandemic: Age and Sex Effects

Abstract

Several studies have been published on how the recent pandemic negatively affected mental health and addictive behaviors. Nonetheless, further research is needed into potential differences in tobacco and alcohol use that occurred over the course of the pandemic. Towards this end, we examined changes in prescribing patterns of drugs used in nicotine and alcohol addictive disorders (DUAD) to evaluate the long-term effect of the pandemic on population behavior regarding the use of tobacco and alcohol. New prescriptions for DUAD were analyzed over 6 years, divided into three periods of 2 years each: pre-pandemic, pandemic, and post-pandemic, from March-2018 to February-2024. New prescriptions were studied considering sex and age groups. New nicotine-related DUAD prescriptions increased significantly during the pandemic and also in the post-pandemic, mainly in women. During the pandemic, the increase was driven by individuals over 20 years old, and in the post-pandemic by those aged 40 and over. New alcohol-related DUAD prescriptions decreased significantly during the pandemic, driven by men over 60 years old, and remained stable during the post-pandemic. In general, men received more than twice as many new alcohol-related DUAD prescriptions as women. Results provide population-based data to draw attention to the extent of harmful alcohol consumption during a lockdown, as occurred during the pandemic. However, during and after the pandemic, attempts to quit smoking increased. Stepping up information campaigns about the risks of excessive alcohol or tobacco consumption and about the resources available to those who wish to reduce their alcohol or tobacco consumption may prove useful in future unprecedented events.