It has published a guide to coping with the stress of the outbreak. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warn that the stress of the pandemic and the quarantine can worsen chronic mental health conditions and increase the use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs. “At that point, some of these addictive personality traits may cause some interpersonal conflict and strife and possibly create more concerning actions.” “Partners who are struggling with their own emotions during all of this will begin to notice (because we are unable to hide from each other in our homes) some of the more concerning things that come with prolonged alcohol use,” she said. Patrick Delaney, commissioner of the Department of Liquor and Lottery. Slobodnjak said it’s reasonable to expect alcohol abuse could increase in the stress of the pandemic, when people are confined to their homes.
It’s also possible to buy wine, beer and other alcoholic beverages in grocery stores, and some distilleries, like Barr Hill in Montpelier, are offering drive-through or sidewalk service for customers who want to buy a bottle of their premium spirits.īut counselors aren’t reporting an increase in alcohol-related problems, said Cortney Donohue Slobodnjak, president of the Vermont Mental Health Counselors Association.Īlcohol can be used and abused as self-medication during times of stress and family conflict, said Slobodnjak, a counselor in Chester who added that alcohol abuse tends to reveal itself over time, not suddenly. Mental health counselors have expressed doubt that liquor stores are, in fact, essential businesses, and have questioned why they’re allowed to remain open during the pandemic. The governor’s stay-at-home orders have reduced automobile use by so much that many insurance companies are dropping their auto premiums. The state police didn’t offer any possible explanations for the reduction, but it’s clear fewer people are out and about. Riggen noted that the numbers should only serve as a general snapshot, and don’t include sheriff department reports or police department reports from Vermont municipalities such as Burlington, Montpelier, Winooski, Colchester, St. There were 356 such reports in 2019, and 316 in March 2020, Riggen said. Jay Riggen in the Safety Programs Office of the Vermont State Police. Incidents involving intoxication or DUI dropped 11% between March 2019 and March 2020, according to Sgt. If people are indeed drinking more, this is not reflected in police statistics. Through other actions, the state has closed all non-essential businesses, limited social gatherings to less than 10 people, and repeatedly urged Vermonters to stay at home as much as possible. Phil Scott closed all of Vermont’s bars and restaurants March 17 as he sought to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus. There aren’t many other places than home that people can drink. Jokes and reports about drinking at home are common now on social media, and online alcohol sales have risen nearly 250%, according to the industry publication the drinks business. “In some sense people are also applying the same type of perspective when they are purchasing distilled spirits as well,” he said. He added that he doesn’t think people are necessarily drinking more they’re just stocking up on liquor the way they’ve been stocking up on staple foods and items like toilet paper. “People are moving away from the super-fancy stuff,” he said. “I would categorize their interest to be perhaps in more of a value-priced brand versus premium brands,” said Delaney, adding that the move away from premium brands is happening nationally, not just in Vermont. Liquor sales from state stores increased by 14% in March over the same month last year, said Patrick Delaney, commissioner of the Vermont Department of Liquor and Lottery. If you have any questions, thoughts or updates on how Vermont is responding to COVID-19, contact us at it comes to liquor purchases made in the first weeks of quarantine, Vermonters went for quantity over quality, buying more 1.75-liter bottles of inexpensive brands, and less of the artisanal spirits that have defined their purchasing habits in the past. You can also subscribe here for regular email updates on the coronavirus. VTDigger is posting regular updates on the coronavirus in Vermont on this page.
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