HAVE YOU HEARD SOME PEOPLE
SAYING THESE DAYS THAT THEY ARE
DRINKING MORE DURING QUARANTINE?
WE LOOKED AT THE NUMBERS AND
FOUND THAT ALCOHOL SALES ARE UP
DRAMATICALLY.
SO, WE SET OUT TO FIND OUT WHY.
ANY ALCOHOL?
TWO BOTTLES OF WINE AND
BEER.
IT'S LIKE A MINI INSIDE JOKE
WITH A LOT OF PEOPLE INSIDE.
ANY WHINER ANYTHING?
NOT TODAY.
THAT IS STOCKED UP.
WINE HAS BEEN POPULAR IN THE
LAST SIX WEEKS?
THAT'S RIGHT.
THEY DO THEIR PART TO HELP
THE ECONOMY.
THE CO-OWNER OF COMMON MARKET.
ALCOHOL SALES ARE UP A
LITTLE OVER 25%.
YEAR-OVER-YEAR.
I ASKED MECKLENBURG COUNTY
BOARD FOR ITS APRIL NUMBERS, IT
TOLD ME SALES TO RESTAURANTS
AND BARS WERE DOWN, $5 MILLION
COMPARED TO LAST APRIL, SALES
TO REGULAR PEOPLE ARE UP $1.2
MILLION.
I CAME ACROSS SEVERAL REASONS
FOR THE UPTICK IN DRINKING.
THE OBVIOUS ONES, STRESS,
DEPRESSION, AND EVEN BOREDOM.
THE NOT SO OBVIOUS ONES, PEOPLE
ARE WORKING FROM HOME MORE,
PEOPLE AREN'T SPENDING MONEY IN
TIME AND OTHER ENTERTAINMENT
LIKE SPORTING EVENTS, MOVIE
THEATERS AND TRAVEL.
MANY ARE JUST TRYING TO SPICE
UP THE HOME LIFE TO BRING THE
RESTAURANT TO THEM.
WHEREAS THEY WOULD MAYBE
SPEND $100 PER WEEK AT A
RESTAURANT ON ALCOHOL, THOSE OF
BEEN DIVERTED TO SOMETHING THEY
WOULD CONSUME AT HOME.
EVERYONE I SPOKE WITH SEEM
TO HAVE A HEALTHY ATTITUDE
ABOUT DRINKING MORE, I DON'T
WANT TO OVERLOOK ALL THE PEOPLE
WHO MAY BE STRUGGLING WITH
ALCOHOL RIGHT NOW.
UNFORTUNATELY, EXPERTS PREDICT
A SPIKE IN THOSE NUMBERS TOO.
I READ AT LEAST FOUR STUDIES
WHICH LOOKED AT DRINKING DURING
THE GREAT RECESSION, SIMPLY PUT
THEY ALL SUPPORT WHAT YOU
PROBABLY GUESSED.
PEOPLE DRINK MORE.
A SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELOR
MESSAGED ME ON FACEBOOK SAYING
SHE IS SEEING MORE HOSPITAL
DETOX STAGES.
ALSO SUBSTANCE ABUSE COUNSELOR,
HE WORKS WITH PARTICULAR
PRESBYTERIAN PSYCHOLOGICAL
SERVICES.
ANY ADJUSTMENT, EVEN A
HEALTHY ADJUSTMENT, GETTING
MARRIED, HAVING A KID, CAN BE
STRESSFUL.
SO THIS IS A REALLY TOUGH
ADJUSTMENT FOR A LOT OF PEOPLE,
LOST JOBS, TRYING TO MAINTAIN
HOME LIFE, WORK LIFE, THEY ARE
STILL WORKING.
TAKE CARE OF KIDS, TEACH KIDS.
LAST WEEK MANY OF THE SAME
GROUPS SENT TRUMP
ADMINISTRATION THIS LETTER
MAKING A SIMILAR POINT.
WHAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION, THE
EVEN MENTIONED SOUTH CAROLINA
BY NAME.
SAYING 80% OF MENTAL HEALTH
PROVIDERS IN THAT STATE
PROBABLY DON'T HAVE THE MONEY
TO STAY OPEN PAST JULY.
KIND OF A GOOD MEASURE OF
WHEN YOU'RE DRINKING IS IN THE
HEALTHY RANGE IS FOR MEN IT IS
TWO PER DAY.
14 PER WEEK.
A DRINK IS CONSIDERED A 12
OUNCE BEER A 5% ALCOHOL.
15 OUNCE GLASS OF WINE.
OR AND OUNCE AND A HALF OF 80
PROOF LIQUOR.
TWO PER DAY FOR MEN OR ONE PER
DATE FOR WOMEN IS CONSIDERED
MODERATE DRINKING.
HE TOLD ME SOMETHING THAT
MAY SOUND OBVIOUS BUT IS VERY
IMPORTANT.
INSTEAD OF SAYING, STOPPED
DRINKING SO MUCH, WHY ARE YOU
DRINKING THIS MUCH, GO AHEAD
AND ASK THEM HOW THEY ARE
DOING, WHAT'S WRONG, WHAT IS ON
THEIR MIND.
LET'S GO DEEPER INTO THIS
TOPIC.
THAT INCREASE IN DRINKING MIGHT
BE A FACTOR IN THE SPIKE IN
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CALLS.
CHARLOTTE MECKLENBURG POLICE
SAY THEY ARE UP 20%.
TODAY, MECKLENBURG COUNTY
DISTRICT COURT JUDGE TOLD ME
WHAT HE HAS NOTICED IN THE
COURTROOM.
IF YOU JUST LOOK AT WHAT IS
OCCURRING, PEOPLE ARE HOME MORE
FREQUENTLY.
PEOPLE ARE STRESSED OUT ABOUT
WORK, ABOUT BEING STUCK AT
HOME.
THAT IS A NATURAL, UNFORTUNATE
LINE OF WHAT IS RESULTING,
DOMESTIC VIOLENCE.
I WANT TO PREFACE IT AND SAY, I
COME FROM A HOUSEHOLD WHERE I
WAS GROWING UP AS A CHILD AND
WE DID HAVE SUBSTANCE ABUSE AS
AN ISSUE.
I ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IS A
DISEASE, HOWEVER, WE NEED TO
ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IT'S A PROBLEM
RIGHT NOW IN OUR COURTS.
TELL ME MORE DETAILS ABOUT
WHAT YOU ARE SEEING.
OF COURSE NOT REVEALING
SPECIFICS OF CASES, BUT HOW YOU
ARE SEEING THAT IT APPEARS
ALCOHOL IS HAVING AN EFFECT ON
OUR FAMILIES AND COMMUNITY?
WE DO SEE THAT WITH CLAIMS
OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AS WELL AS
CLAIMS OF EMERGENCY CUSTODY, A
COMMON THEME IS ALCOHOLISM OR
DRUG ABUSE IS A CONCERN OF THE
OTHER PARTY.
HE WANTS TO REMIND PEOPLE
THAT THE COURTS ARE STILL OPEN.
EMERGENCY CHILD CUSTODY CASES
ARE BEING HEARD EVERY DAY.
CLERKS ARE STILL ACCEPTING
FILINGS AND MAGISTRATES ARE