Alcohol purchases through online stores and mobile applications in the late phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in Poland.

Aim: Online alcohol sales have grown rapidly, but their impact on alcohol consumption and harms is not well understood. This study explores the association between online alcohol purchasing and drinking behaviours during the late phase of COVID-19 pandemic in Poland. Design: A nationally representative survey was conducted in May 2022 of 2000 Polish residents aged 18-50 years selected from a probability-based web panel. Measures included past-year alcohol purchasing through e-stores, food/delivery apps and retail apps. Alcohol consumption was quantified using the Beverage-Specific Quantity-Frequency method. Logistic regression was used to identify sociodemographic and behavioural correlates of online alcohol purchasing. Results: Of the study respondents, 19% purchased alcohol through e-stores, 17% via delivery apps and 15% with retail apps. Spirits were commonly purchased in e-stores (57%), while beer was purchased via apps (58%-60%). Most online buyers took advantage of price promotions (69%-75%) and reported some kind of age verification (67%-68%). Higher odds of online purchasing were found among men (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.38-1.54), younger drinkers (aOR 1.65-2.04) and to some extent university graduates (aOR 1.75 for e-stores purchases). Compared to moderate drinkers, risky (aOR 2.32-3.02) and harmful drinkers (aOR 5.06-6.61) showed substantially increased odds of buying alcohol online. Conclusion: Results suggest online alcohol purchasing, especially through mobile apps, is linked to more excessive drinking. Apps enable easy access to alcohol anytime anywhere, circumventing policies restricting sales to minors and intoxicated persons. With youth drinking declining globally, online sales are an emerging issue for public health. Restricting mobile app-based alcohol delivery could be an important policy measure to curb excessive drinking enabled by digital sales.