COVID-19 LOCKDOWN- WITHDRAWAL AND DOMESTIC VIOLENCE By Laurie James

When South Africa and then Botswana enacted legislation banning the sale of alcohol and cigarettes during the COVID-19 lockdown, the question I found myself asking was - Did they really think this one through?

As a non-smoker and a very light consumer of alcohol the legislation has no personal impact on me whatsoever, but, as I listen to the panicked voices of people around me I realise that it has a profound impact on people addicted to these substances. Many of whom are more concerned about how they will survive without their cigarettes and alcohol than of contracting and spreading COVID-19.

As we face a crisis, the like of which we have never before encountered, stress is running high. Not only are we faced with confinement in our homes, but people are facing an uncertain economic future with heightened levels of anxiety and depression. Our world has been shaken to the core. It will probably never be the same again and we will have to adjust to a new normal going forward. Many of us will be jobless as economies will take time to recover.

Given this situation, one would imagine that governments would do their utmost to minimize the stress on their citizens at this time. One would expect them to appreciate the overwhelming levels of stress, fear and uncertainty experienced by people and endeavour to keep their worlds as normal and familiar as possible. However, curiously this does not appear to be the case.

The motivation behind the decision to ban the sale of cigarettes and alcohol has not been clearly explained and I for one would be very interested to hear the rationale behind this resolution. Of course there is the obvious argument…..the consumption of alcohol lowers inhibitions, decreases the capacity for self-control, facilitates impulsive behaviour and increases the possibility of delinquent and criminal behaviour. Removing this from the equation may, at first glance, be considered a wise move. But, what of cigarettes? Smoking cigarettes is not generally considered to induce or affect criminal behaviour in any significant manner. So why ban cigarettes?

Who is profiting from the creation of a black market for the sale of these products. That’s another story!

What are the possible consequences to banning cigarettes and alcohol at a time like this?

For many of us home is considered a safe space, but sadly for many more this is not the case. With increased stress around COVID-19 one would expect that even happy homes will become stressful environments with the lockdown in effect. Stable relationships will face the increased challenges associated with confinement and some can be expected to break down under the associated stressors. Essentially the world is under house arrest. Forced to cohabit in homes 24/7 with spouses and children alike, with no break and no escape!

If the relationships between the inhabitants of domains is strained and tumultuous one would expect that under lockdown conditions the situation will almost certainly degrade and rapidly escalate into violence. Worldwide it has done exactly that, as evidenced by reports of increased incidence of domestic violence on a global scale. Domestic violence can be briefly defined as -  violence or another form of abuse in a domestic setting, such as in marriage or cohabitation. 

 In order to relieve stress, people employ a smorgasbord of coping strategies. For a vast number of us, it’s a drink, a cigarette or both. In countries where they have banned the consumption of alcohol and cigarettes they may well have stripped people of their No 1 coping mechanisms. Additionally the option of going for a run and most other forms of exercise are also off the table.. None of these mechanisms are currently available to people as stress relief and given their absence, is it really surprising that people are becoming violent.

As the effects of substance withdrawal are increasingly felt by perpetrators, their desperation and frustration levels will grow. An addict in the grips of withdrawal is not logical, they have limited to no ability to rationalise, they are consumed with cravings and their bodies experience physiological shutdown, tremors, sweats, cramps, and so on. Psychological disturbances and irrational thoughts are also a part of the package which is why we have rehabilitation facilities, experienced in managing the fallout. Currently, addicts are being forced to detox in their own homes with family members who have no training and are ill equipped to handle the situation as their only caregivers. A recipe for disaster?  Sadly, it’s a double edged sword.

The creation of these high risk conditions by governments will, in my opinion, probably result in an even greater level of violence being directed at people trapped in their homes with addicts - vulnerable victims - with no escape. On the 6 April 2020 – Police minister of South Africa Bheki Cele stated that “the SA police had received more than 87,000 gender-based complaints in the first week of the lockdown.” In my opinion we can expect an even sharper rise in both the numbers and the intensity of domestic violence, including - rape, murder and assault cases as length of time of the lockdown increases.

Another concern is that we will see an unprecedented rise in suicides as people begin to grasp the impact of the reality of COVID-19, again without access to coping mechanisms they would usually employ to dissipate stress.

Another “problem” is the creation of a very lucrative black market in alcohol and tobacco products. This has already resulted in a steep rise in the looting of shops supplying these items including bottle stores and supermarkets. As the level of desperation to attain product increases in addicts, the economic exploitation of the people by a criminal element profiting from sale of these goods will grow. A packet of cigarettes previously available in South Africa for R12.00 will now set you back R50.00 to R60.00. It would not surprise me to find this situation was engineered by politicians for financial gain. They were the only people aware of the alcohol and cigarette ban prior to its rapid implementation. This knowledge would have allowed for them to stockpile product for resale down the line at enormous profit.

With addicts being forced to pay these astronomical prices for product on the black market, their families will no doubt suffer economic hardship.  In my experience an addict will usually choose to satisfy their addiction over any other need, this includes feeding their families.

In closing I can only hope that after reading this article, the policy makers would stop and consider the implications and consequences of continuing with these ill-advised policies without proper investigation and debate. This should be done in collaboration with social scientists and medical professionals well versed in the study of addiction and substance abuse and its relationship to violence. Or, is it simply that the pain, suffering and possible loss of life of the victims of this abuse are simply considered as acceptable losses to profiteering