HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH?

The holiday plans of millions have been upset and will continue to be by Coronavirus. Uncertainty and worry about travel and quarantine have prevented the customary summer exodus. However, news headlines suggest that we’ve all been drinking as if we’re on holiday – a six-month one!

WORDS PHILIP HARRIS

This generalisation was dangerous: many were endeavouring to save their businesses and had to fight like never before. The reemergence of COVID-19 spikes means their battle continues which is impractical when constantly inebriated. Front line workers couldn’t indulge with abandon, although they’d have just cause to seek a coping mechanism. So was the rest of the population in a constant alcoholic haze and what was actually the reality?

During the initial months of the crisis, people were exhorted to stay indoors or at least go outdoors as little as possible but clement weather during late March and April made that difficult. This presented an even greater danger than Coronavirus by being mown down on a pavement by joggers and cyclists who would not deviate an inch from their chosen path.

The imposition of lockdown measures and support schemes involved with job ‘hibernation’ meant that many would be at a loose end until circumstances allowed. For those who fell outside every ‘safety net’ subsequently offered by their governments, the incentive to remain professional diminished accordingly. The longer the shutdown continued, weekdays, weekends and public holidays just homogenised, especially for those whose daily routine of work had dried up.

With so much time available, resolutions and good intentions were made to fill the gaping hole that loomed. In retrospect, I imagine that more were broken or unfulfilled during Coronavirus lockdown than those made on January 1st. I doubt anyone made the resolution to drink more – not even me – so it was good to set out a task for the day to establish some semblance of order. The lockdown of hairdressers led to ever-increasing lengths of hair, but once looking like a hippy remnant of 1969 had been accepted, the deterrent of looking unprofessional on Zoom subsided as did normal work related strictures. With no need to commute and with the hospitality sector closed, drinking at home increased. Perhaps the first glass of the day was enjoyed at an earlier hour, even lunch, safe in the knowledge that nothing professional had to be carried out subsequent to intake.

After the initial shock of the virus, humour gradually re-emerged, as did aptly named cocktails: ‘the Quarantini’ being one, along with health advice: ‘You can’t touch your face with a glass in both hands.’ Amidst a tsunami of understandably bad news and gloom, getting to the weekend in one piece became something to celebrate although it might have been brought forward to Thursday in some households. Community spirit (no, not an alcoholic version) emerged, such as people helping more vulnerable neighbours with their shopping: I ended up doing that for my wife’s previous husband! Along with worrying about masks plus the inherent danger of inadvertent contamination, it was certainly enough to drive me into the embrace of alcohol.

Gradually headlines emerged about lockdown behaviour: two themes grabbed attention, verging on voyeuristic at times. Firstly the amount of sex that couples were said to be having – okay, what do you do once the 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle palls? Secondly, the record spikes that drinks retailers were experiencing, with many reporting sales similar to Christmas, although amid such rises, the beer brand Corona suffered badly, which is perhaps not surprising. Did this mean that Coronavirus had turned nations from ‘glass half full’ to ‘glass always full’; or a case of ‘lies, damned lies and statistics’?

Consumers stockpiled, perhaps cautious after waves of needless, selfish panic buying had stripped shelves bare. Retailers who could deliver made hay, profiting both from a fear of going out (imagine the shame of being seen with TWO bottles of gin in your basket) as well as the weight of glass. However, there is currently no proof that consumption of whatever alcoholic sector matched respective purchases. Nor was quality ditched in favour of cheaper alternatives to keep up with consumption. On a small but accurate scale, the pattern of uptake from offers from my wife’s wine company reflect both trends.

A poll which asked whether the population was definitely drinking more, found that only one per cent admitted to that, so perhaps alcohol impairs honesty as much as memory. Continue to enjoy drinking, but please don’t let it take your guard down.