Liquor stores aren’t essential businesses during a pandemic

Stay-at-home orders have made it clearer than ever that “home” isn’t a safe place for everyone.

On April 5, Morgantown Police Chief Ed Preston reported that domestic disturbance calls have increased since the pandemic first closed schools and nonessential businesses. And it’s only a matter of time before some of those domestic disturbance calls become domestic violence calls or worse.

Preston also said the department has seen an increase in mental health-related calls, particularly related to suicide or suicidal thoughts.

As people remain stuck in isolation or confined in volatile environments, calls like the ones Preston mentioned will continue to increase. This pandemic has been hard on everyone — mentally, emotionally, physically and financially. And when the world becomes too much to bear, people tend to turn to alcohol. But there’s a slippery slope that can go from a glass of wine to relax at the end of the day to needing alcohol to get through the day. And Gov. Justice has made that slope even more slippery by declaring liquor stores essential.

We understand that closing as few businesses as possible is meant to soften the economic impact of the coronavirus-related shutdowns. However, multiple studies have linked alcohol to domestic violence and depression. Our current circumstances are already contributing to increases in domestic disturbances and mental health problems; we don’t need to exacerbate the problem by giving people access to hard liquor. Grocery stores are, inarguably, essential businesses, and, yes, many sell alcohol, but it’s usually just wine and beer, not hard liquor. We can’t ask grocery stores to stop selling alcohol, but we don’t need to keep liquor stores open.

In America, 55% of domestic violence victims reported their abuser had been drinking prior to the violent incident, according to a study by the World Health Organization. The same study found combining alcohol with an already poor mental state increased the likelihood of physical violence. And right now, no one is in a great mental state. Adding alcohol is like throwing gasoline on the fire.

Alcohol is also linked to depression. Like the serpent swallowing its own tail, drinking leads to depression, which leads to more drinking, which leads to more depression. Or the opposite can happen: Depression leads to drinking, which deepens the depression and leads to more drinking. A little alcohol can be relaxing, but when people are overly stressed or sad, a single glass of wine or a couple beers won’t do much to relax them. So they’ll drink even more to achieve the desired numbing effect, which will only make the sadness and anxiety worse. Which leads to MPD getting more calls about suicidal ideations.

Liquor stores are not essential businesses during a pandemic. Giving easier access to hard liquor and other alcoholic beverages will only exacerbate the problems we’re already seeing due to social distancing and quarantining. We also don’t need to give people more excuses to be out in public than necessary. Close the liquor stores. Maybe that will help keep the 911 calls down.