Here's a simple yes or no question: do you feel the people of Ireland are drinking more or less during the lockdown?
Many of us would answer 'yes' to that question. We now have data to back that hunch up. Yesterday, Neilsen yesterday released data that said that off-license alcohol sales for the first four weeks of the lockdown amounted to €158 million. That's a 40% increase on the amount spent during the same period last year.
The data, which was broken down on the IrishTimes.com, is pretty fascinating for anyone with an interest in Ireland's drinking habits. It tracks booze sales from Monday March 9 to Sunday April 5.
€3.1 million of stout were bought in the four week period. That's an 80% increase on last year. This shows that the pintmen and pintwomen are continuing to enjoy the black stuff, just in the comfort of their own homes.
Lager sales are up by 51%. Whiskey sales are up by 42%. Wine sales are also up by 34%.
The overall amount of take-home alcohol sold is up €44 million on the same period last year.
The data is collated from off-licenses, supermarkets and shops up and down Ireland.
“Alcohol misuse has always been a public health issue, but it will now become a public health emergency,” Sean Harty of Addicition Counsellours Ireland told the Irish Times. “We’re going to go from one pandemic to another. We are in for a tsunami of issues following this pandemic."
Perhaps these figures won't be too surprising to many, given Ireland's relationship with alcohol. The statistics do raise the spectre of the unintended public health consequences that might come from this lockdown. There is no guarantee the lockdown will be lifted on May 5, and the longer the lockdown runs, the more it will change many fundamental habits we have.
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