Alcohol & Covid-19
According to Neilson data, with the social distancing restrictions, U.S. alcohol sales increased 55% in late March. Other nations are also reporting recent spikes in alcohol sales. In Australia, coronavirus-themed alcohol marketing, including advertising “survival kits” and “isolation six-packs”, has sparked calls for regulators to ban making reference to depression and isolation in marketing material.
Excessive Use
Increased stress can lead to increases in alcohol and substance use. If you or someone you care about is starting to use alcohol or other substances, or is increasing their use during the COVID-19 pandemic, here are a few suggestions that may help:
Contact your healthcare provider
Take medication as prescribed and continue therapy
Call the National Drug and Alcohol Treatment Referral Hotline
(1-800-662-HELP)
A major concern continues that with increased alcohol alcohol sales there will be more alcohol in the home which leads to a greater potential for in-home access to youth with/without parent knowledge. So the question remains what can prevention do? Many Kentucky communities are utilizing social awareness campaigns during this time of social distancing to encourage parents to monitor the alcohol in their homes and find conversation starters and tools to talk to their kids about alcohol prevention. Many are also focusing on increasing protective factors (factors in place that deter from something such as substance use) though things like family dinners.
Alcohol In-Home
Curbside Pickup
Another major concern is the issue of curbside pickup and the increased access to youth thought the restaurant delivery system adopted by many during COVID. On-premise establishments like restaurants are not accustomed to alcohol services in these non-traditional ways and while trying to social distance and minimize interaction they could be less likely to verify age through a physical ID. As Champions for prevention we can reach out to our local ABC administrator or Local Alcohol Enforcement Officer to find if they have the tools they need to investigate alcohol curbside pickup in Kentucky as well as what we can do to help!
Drinking Alcohol & Covid-19
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Drinking alcohol does not protect you from COVID-19.
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Drinking alcohol weakens your body’s ability to fight infections, increasing the risk of complications and making it harder to get better if you are sick.
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Alcohol use can increase the risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome and pneumonia, which are sometimes associated with COVID-19.