For various reasons, alcohol has been in the press over the last few weeks in relation to the coronavirus crisis. In this short article for commonspace.eu, William Murray looks into why, advising us to keep our heads.
'Champagne - In victory you deserve it; in defeat, you need it'. This quote, often misattributed to Napoleon Bonaparte, appears to be the approach of some in combatting the current pandemic. Alcohol has featured in the global news cycle for a number of reasons over the course of the crisis - some more predictable than others.
Certain countries, including South Africa and Greenland, and (for a brief period) parts of the north of France, have entirely banned the sale of alcohol during the crisis, citing concerns that it lowers awareness of the dangers of the virus and the strength of people's immune systems [1]. In recent days, a letter was circulated, purporting to be by the NHS, stating that similar precautions would be taken in the UK. Whilst met with unsurprising backlash, this has now been shown to be fake news [2].
During times of hardship, alcohol has proven to be a common crutch for people, especially in times of economic stress, anxiety [3], and in combatting issues of self-esteem and family conflict [4]. The relationship between boredom and alcohol use is also well studied [5]. Consequentially, it is hardly surprising that people would be more likely to turn to alcohol during the current period of uncertainty and isolation. In the US, we are seeing this playing out with experts warning of an increase in the number of drug users and alcoholics relapsing due to pressures brought by the crisis [6].
Whilst prohibition seems to be rather over the top, there are certainly concerns related to excessive alcohol consumption whilst in isolation that we should be aware of. Contrary to fake news circulating about alcohol's ability to prevent COVID-19, it is common knowledge that alcohol lowers the body's immune system and, thus, its ability to defend against the virus [7]. Additionally, alcohol is a depressant, increasing people's propensity to become anxious and depressed, which does not help in already stressful and secluded times [8].
All this considered, whilst a drink here and there can help us to keep a sense of normality, we need to be careful. We are just at the beginning of what is likely to be many months of disruption, isolation and change.
References:
[1] The Drinks Business - 'The Countries that have Banned Alcohol Sales due to the Coronavirus': https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2020/03/the-countries-that-have-banned-alcohol-sales-due-to-the-coronavirus/
[2] Evening Standard - 'Coronavirus alcohol ban: Scam letter claiming to be from NHS explained': https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/scam-nhs-letter-alcohol-ban-coronavirus-a4401951.html
[3] L.I. Pearlin, C.W. Radabaugh - 'Economic Strains and the Coping Function of Alcohol': https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/abs/10.1086/226357
[4] J. Lee, R. Lee - 'Material Hardship and Alcohol Use among Low-income Households in South Korea': http://www.koreascience.or.kr/article/JAKO201624557928806.page
[5] J.D. Orcutt - 'Contrasting Effects of Two Kinds of Boredom on Alcohol Use': https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/002204268401400112
[6] New York Post - 'Coronavirus is causing a rise in drug and alcohol relapses': https://nypost.com/2020/03/30/coronavirus-is-causing-a-rise-in-drug-and-alcohol-relapses/
[7] Rappler - 'FALSE: Alcoholic drinks 'reduce coronavirus risk'': https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/fact-check/254434-alcoholic-drinks-reduce-coronavirus-risk
[8] Drinkaware - 'Alcohol and mental health': https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/alcohol-facts/health-effects-of-alcohol/mental-health/alcohol-and-mental-health/
source: This short article was prepared by William Murray for commonspace.eu It is part of our series of public service announcements aimed at helping our readers deal with issues related to the coronavirus pandemic and its effects
