Alcohol, Tobacco, and Sedative Drug Consumption in North Cyprus; Before and During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic resulted in the implementation of restrictions and caused lifestyles to change; the economy to decline; and psychiatric problems to arise. These factors might have influenced the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and sedative drugs. This study aims to investigate the consumption trends of alcohol, tobacco, and sedative drugs before and during the early period of the COVID-19 pandemic in North Cyprus. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using an online questionnaire targeting residents of North Cyprus aged 18 years and above. A sample of 270 people was selected using the snowball sampling method to represent the population with 90% confidence. The alcohol, smoking, and substance involvement screening test (ASSIST) scale was employed to evaluate alcohol, tobacco, and sedative drug use before and during the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic. RESULTS: A total of 280 residents participated in this study. 50.7% of the participants reported the use of tobacco before the pandemic. 86.8% had moderate risk before COVID-19, while 65% had low-risk usage in the pandemic's first three months. 62.9% of the participants indicated no tobacco use during the first three months of the pandemic. Tobacco consumption severity significantly decreased with the COVID-19 pandemic (p<0.001), which was observed in both sexes and all age groups. However, no significant changes were found in alcohol and sedative drug consumption. CONCLUSION: The findings indicate a substantial reduction in tobacco use during the early phase of the pandemic in North Cyprus. No significant changes were observed in alcohol or sedative drug consumption during the early pandemic period, and both substances showed consistently low-risk levels based on ASSIST classifications.