Health Officials Worry People are Drinking to Battle Coronavirus Anxiety

Health officials are concerned that many people are using alcohol to deal with anxiety over the coronavirus pandemic, CBS New York reports.

The alcohol industry, from liquor stores to wine distributors, are reporting strong sales.

“It would be ironic if we minimized transmission of coronavirus and forced everybody to self-isolate, and the people who are most vulnerable end up dying of overdoses or suicides,” said Dr. Jeffrey Reynolds of the Family & Children’s Association, a Long Island, New York non-profit that provides services including addiction prevention, treatment and recovery.

“Oftentimes stress, fear, and anxiety leads to self-medication. We on Long Island here have seen lines down the block, people parking on the street for liquor stores,” said Steve Chassman, Executive Director of the Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence.