Warning as virus crisis sees increase in middle-aged falling into alcoholism
An increasing number of middle aged social drinkers are crossing the line into alcoholism since off-licenses replaced pubs with the outbreak of Covid-19, a senior addiction counsellor has warned.
Michael Guerin, who works at Cuan Mhuire Centre in Bruree, Co Limerick, also said they are seeing more women getting trapped by online gambling.
“We are run off our feet on a daily basis from people on the phone concerned about their drinkng and families who are concerned about a relative.
“A new phenomenon is the number of people in their forties and fifties who would have been pub drinkers all their lives and now find themselves in trouble through home drinking which is often driven by isolation, stress, being out of work, fear of job loss and financial worries.
“We are getting calls from people who would have been regarded as sensible in their drinking when pubs were open. These are people whose pub routine did not cause a problem and now find themselves in a whole new situation since the off-license has replaced the pub."
Mr Guerin said problems have arisen in many cases where people have switched from pints to shorts.
“A half one in the pub could be a treble at home and this begins to take its toll in a relatively short period of time.
We now have a cohort of older middle aged people seeking help and advice over their changed drinking behaviour. This has coincided with the Covid-19 outbreak.
“Some want to get into an alcohol treatment programme and others will talk about what is happening in their lives through drink. But it is a new phenomenon.”
Mr Guerin said with the problem of young people taking drugs, there has been little change with Covid-19 as there had been a 5/1 deficit in services trying to cope with the separate cocaine epidemic.
He said it is in the drink area that the pattern has changed significantly and suddenly in recent months with the age profile being a very noticeable aspect.
“With the closure of betting offices, online gambling is now another serious issue. A new side to the gambling situation is that more and more women are contacting us concerned at what online gambling doing to their lives.
“It is a solitary, secretive pursuit which lends itself to the current situation. When betting offices were open, gambling problems we dealt with related mostly to men. But now that the betting shops are closed, this gap between men and women gambling seems to have narrowed.
“And online access to various online betting options is proving attractive to an increasing number of women. We are getting calls from individuals who find themselves suddenly bewildered It is a matter of great concern,” he said.
