Acute Alcohol Intoxication in Dutch Adolescents Before, During, and After the First COVID-19 Lockdown

The association between acute alcohol intoxication among adolescents and the COVID-19 lockdown has been studied previously in Trieste, Italy. They recommended that emergency services should be prepared for a potential peak of alcohol intoxication-related emergencies among adolescents as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown. Therefore, this study investigated the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the prevalence of acute alcohol intoxication among adolescents in the Netherlands.

To determine both the prevalence and characteristics of adolescents admitted for acute alcohol intoxication in 2019-2020, a retrospective cohort study was conducted. All adolescents <18 years of age admitted for acute alcohol intoxication in the 12 participating hospitals in the Netherlands in 2019-2020 were included. Adolescents were divided in periods before, during, and subsequent to the first COVID-19 lockdown and the beginning of the second lockdown, in comparison with the same periods in 2019.

The prevalence of acute alcohol intoxication among adolescents decreased by 70% during the first lockdown (March 16-May 31, 2020) compared with the period before lockdown (January 1-March 15, 2020). Between the first lockdown phase and the reopening period (June 1-October 14, 2020), the prevalence significantly increased.

This study demonstrates that COVID-19 lockdown led to a decrease in acute alcohol intoxication among adolescents. This decrease is multifactorial, including the closure of bars/restaurants, sport clubs, schools and increased parental supervision due to obligatory working from home of parents. Based on the findings, this specific population requires close monitoring, especially in the reopening phases.