World Health Organization Advises Against Heavy Drinking During COVID-19
Written by SOURCE on April 17, 2020
The World Health Organization (WHO) would prefer that access to alcohol be “restricted” during COVID-19 containment efforts.
Earlier this week, WHO’s regional office for Europe shared an update to its Health Topics guide largely focused on shutting down the idiotic conspiracy theory centered around the idea that one could somehow consume an alcoholic beverage that’s strong enough to kill the novel coronavirus. As WHO notes, that is complete bullshit.
WHO reps also specifically pointed to the fact that reckless consumption can actually make people “more vulnerable” to COVID-19:
In particular, alcohol compromises the body’s immune system and increases the risk of adverse health outcomes. Therefore, people should minimize their alcohol consumption at any time, and particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic.
WHO Europe’s program manager for the organization’s Alcohol and Illicit Drugs division, Carina Ferreira-Borges, argued in a statement that alcohol consumption during periods of COVID-19 containment or outright lockdown is a problem of particular note in the region.
“Alcohol is consumed in excessive quantities in the European Region, and leaves too many victims,” Ferreira-Borges said. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, we should really ask ourselves what risks we are taking in leaving people under lockdown in their homes with a substance that is harmful both in terms of their health and the effects of their behavior on others, including violence.”
Here in the States, as CNBC pointed out this week, alcohol sales have (rather predictably) seen some major gains in recent weeks thanks to the virus wisely inspiring many people to maintain a largely at-home existence. For the week ending Mar. 28, alcohol sales at liquor and grocery stores were up as much as 22 percent compared with the same time frame in 2019.
