1. Lets speak to @mattyglesias question: why keep liquor stores open? I am an addiction doc and scientist and I personally urged our health officer to keep them open now. https://twitter.com/mattyglesias/status/1245808274366181378

2. I have no great love for alcohol. I think the health benefit argument is weak. I recently published on alcohol being the #1 cause of non-fatal overdose in formerly homeless veterans

3. But crucially we know that alcohol withdrawal is one of the few substance withdrawal syndromes that is readily lethal https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK482134/

4. In studies of homeless populations in both Philly and Boston, there is an uptick in death on Sunday into Monday morning- these are towns with Blue Laws where sales are prohibited http://sbdww.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/PrematureMortalityFinal.pdf

5. Of course alcohol use itself - especially binges- sets up for violence and mayhem as in Moscow

6. And full disclosure: I occasionally do drink whiskey, preferably while gaming. But as a health matter - not just an indulgence- the last thing we need is to throw a bunch of people into acute withdrawal. ER’s cannot possibly accommodate such a crisis right now

7. Contrary point of view : let’s see people weigh in. https://twitter.com/matthewherper/status/1245896749966860288?s=21 https://twitter.com/matthewherper/status/1245896749966860288