A Smartphone application called “Mappiness” and data from the British Cohort 1970 Study (BCS70) look into if alcohol can make a person happier long term. Alcohol is seen by many as a happy thing that brings joy and pleasure, but do these effects last forever?

Researchers on this study, which is published in the journal Social Science and Medicine, analyzed data from the BCS70, which is a study including 17,000 babies born within one week in 1970. These participants were regularly questioned between the ages of 30 and 42. They were asked how much they drank normally and what type of alcohol was consumed.

The researchers then simultaneously analyzed data of over 31,000 users of the Smartphone application “Mappiness.” This app alerts the user twice a day and asks them how happy they are at the exact moment. It also includes who they are with, what they are doing and if they are drinking alcohol.

They found that those consuming alcohol were happy in that moment, but over their happiness faded. The data from both the BCS70 study and the app ‘Mappiness’ find that alcohol is not necessarily an emotional fix and does not fix problems long-term.