‘People could die’: Those dealing with alcoholism at risk during Liquor Mart strike, recovery advocate says

The ongoing strike that’s forced the closure of most Liquor Mart locations could have serious consequences on those dealing with alcoholism, a recovery advocate says.

In some cases, it could even be a life-or-death situation.

That has Roland Vandal, the executive director of “Breaking the Chain” sober living recovery homes, sounding the alarm.

“For you to be an every-day, all-day drinker and to automatically just quit cold turkey, you risk dying,’ said Vandal, who has been sober for 22 years.

“People could die if they stop drinking too abruptly.”

Most Manitoba Liquor Marts were closed over the weekend, with the exception of three locations. One of those locations was only open to commercial licensees.

The closures are due to a provincewide strike action by Manitoba Liquor and Lottery (MBLL) workers, which started Aug. 8. Workers have been on strike since July 19.

RELATED: Union says use of ‘scabs’ by Manitoba Liquor and lotteries unwelcome

A select number of stores are set to reopen Monday. But it appears not a single store will be open if the strike action continues into next weekend, according to Manitoba Liquor Mart’s website.

Beer vendors, specialty wine stores and many rural liquor outlets are not affected by the strike.

The offer MBLL presented to the union – the Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union (MGEU) – last month was a two per cent per year increase for four years. The MGEU says that’s not enough.

Vandal says while the dispute between the workers and the employers drags on, it’s putting more people in danger.

“People are going to be going to the pharmacies and the grocery stores and they’re going to start stealing the stuff with alcohol content in it,” said Vandal. “So they’re just compounding the problems.”

WATCH: Liquor Mart employees on strike across Manitoba

Liquor stores across the country, including in Manitoba, were deemed essential during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic; one of the main reasons was due to the fear of causing undue harm on those dealing with alcoholism.

As liquor access gets harder by the day in Manitoba, some are warning the province could see those harms play out now.

“I think we’re going to probably see at the end of the day, when the strike is over, some people will be very hurt, some will suffer a lot because of this,” said Michael Bruneau, the owner of Aurora Recovery Centre.