Campaigners are warning that there has been an “alarming” increase in alcohol sales since the pubs were shut last month.
In the first week of this month, sales of alcohol in shops and off-licences was up 58% on the same period last year.
Irish consumers spent €38.1m on alcohol in the week ending April 5th – more than 6% higher than the week before and nearly 60% higher than the same week last year.
Sales of stout saw the biggest growth – up 187% on the same week last year – with whiskey, lager and cider also seeing huge increases.
Alcohol was the highest growing category in week ending 5 April, with sales up 58% to €38.1 million compared to the same week in 2019.#littlecomfortinalcohol#COVID19ireland https://t.co/eAJuwpZqoj
— AlcoholActionIreland (@AlcoholIreland) April 18, 2020
Eunan McKinney from Alcohol Action Ireland said sales have been rising since restrictions were imposed.
“The most recent data is that we can see that week-on-week there is a 58% increase on sales of alcohol in Ireland by comparison to this time last year,” he said.
“Previous weeks it has been as high as 30% and 22% so what we are noticing is that there is undoubtedly a spike into the off trade.
He said the closure of pubs has led to “some degree of displacement” but warned that the 58% figure is “up way beyond” what would have been expected.
It comes as a study in the UK found that 20% of people say they are drinking more since the COVID-19 lockdown began.
The figures on alcohol sales were captured by Nielsen on behalf of Checkout.ie.
