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Many Māori says they are drinking less during the lockdown – but a few say they’re drinking more.
A Nielsen survey commissioned by the Health Promotion Agency Te Hiringa Hauora found a third of respondents say they are drinking.
For Māori, the figure was 42 per cent, and for Pasifika, 57 per cent.
However, 22 per cent of Māori say they are drinking more, compared with 18 per cent of non-Māori, with an increase in people having a daily tipple.
Policy and research general manager Cath Edmondson says the main reasons people give for drinking less are reduced opportunities to socialise, reduced access and cost pressures.
For those drinking more, boredom, relaxation and stress relief are being given as the triggers.
As alcohol can impair the immune system, she says the message moving to alert level 3 is that it’s important to drink less to stay as healthy as possible.
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