[COVID-19 impact on substance use and behaviors with addictive potential: Spanish Observatory on Drugs and Addictions...

The Covid-19 pandemic and the measures adopted for its control have had a significant impact, both in and at health, social and personal levels. The Spanish Observatory of Drugs and Addictions designed a survey to study the change in the pattern of consumption of psychoactive substances and other behaviors with addictive potential, such as the use of the Internet and gambling with money, in the Spanish population during the pandemic COVID-19. A random sample of 7,886 people aged 15 to 64 was interviewed by a telephone survey. The results show a decrease in the consumption of alcohol, tobacco and cannabis and non-internet gambling, along with an increase in the use of non-prescription hypnosedatives and the number of hours spent using the internet for recreational purposes, while online gambling remained unchanged. This overall decline in use occurs in a context of reduced access to illicit drugs, a consequence of the control measures adopted in the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain. The control measures also affected leisure environments, and this has possibly contributed to the changes observed, especially in heavy episodic alcohol consumption among young people, showing the impact of environmental prevention in tackling this problem.