The Surprising Reason Liquor Stores are “Essential”

This has been a recurring thing I’ve seen on Facebook.

“I can’t BELIEVE liquor stores are essential but my____________ isn’t!” . You can fill in that blank with anything that people feel aggrieved about not being able to go to: gym, church, your frolfing foursome… you name it.

And, I get it! Believe me, I do! ! Going to the gym is good for you. Going to church makes Jesus happy. Since when is getting drunk more important than worshiping God/having rippling delts and washboard abs?

The answer to the question of “why Specs still open” makes sense when you hear it. It’s also the most bummer defense of having a drink that I’ve ever heard.

Basically, as detailed in this opinion piece in Scientific American, it’s because some people are addicted to alcohol and if they suddenly had to go cold turkey our hospitals would be filled with THEM instead of Covid-19 cases.

“Being an alcoholic” is now styled as “Having Alcohol Use Disorder or AUD”. Maybe the name sounds less judgmental but the symptoms of withdrawal are the same: tremors, hallucinations, and seizures. Also, you can tack on (for some people) major depressive episodes and resorting to trying to drink rubbing alcohol, both of which could land one in the hospital or the morgue.

On a recent YouGov survey, opinions were split RIGHT down the middle. 42% of people said liquor stores ARE essential and 42% said they were not essential. I’d like to be able to say the remaining 16% said, “I don’t know, let me have a drink and get back to you”, but, sadly they were just “undecided”.