S.F. Bay Area is drinking 42% more alcohol than usual while sheltering in place [View all]
During the first week of sheltering in place, Bay Area residents drank more alcohol than usual — 42% more than usual, in fact, according to data from BACtrack, a San Francisco company that produces smartphone-connected breathalyzer devices.
The idea for the study came from people’s anecdotal impressions that drinking was up, said BACtrack CEO Keith Nothacker. “We said, let’s go check the data. Sure enough, drinking had exploded post-shelter-in-place.”
The BACtrack findings dovetail with reports of increased demand for alcohol delivery: San Francisco online retailer Wine.com reports that its spirits sales have surged 400% since shelter-in-place orders started, for example. Newly relaxed regulations from California’s Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control have made it legal for bars and restaurants to deliver cocktails now, too.
To produce the data set, BACtrack compared users’ blood alcohol concentration levels during the first week that shelter-in-place orders went into effect for six Bay Area counties, March 17, with the two-week period preceding it. The data looked at users of BACtrack devices who live in those counties, which totaled around 500 breathalyzer tests during that time period, Northacker said — but he added that BACtrack collects “millions” of data points worldwide, and already are seeing similar results from other metropolitan areas.
MORE: https://www.sfchronicle.com/wine/article/The-Bay-Area-is-drinking-42-more-alcohol-than-15167591.php
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