The number of alcohol poisoning cases in Lithuania has halved during the coronavirus quarantine, according to officials.
A total of 304 alcohol poisoning cases were registered in the country between March 16 and May 1, down from 778 in the same period last year, according to Renaldas Čiužas, director of the Drug, Tobacco and Alcohol Control Department.
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"I believe there are economic reasons behind the decrease, too. Job losses and unemployment led some people to reconsider their expenditure in certain areas," he told reporters on Monday.
Figures provided by the department also show a decline in drug poisonings.
"The number of poisonings with narcotic and psychotropic substances fell by 25 percent compared with the same period of 2019," Čiužas said. "Opioid poisonings increased by one-third, but cannabis poisonings halved."
The director said this could be due to a decrease in drug trafficking and availability due to border closures.
The coronavirus quarantine was introduced in Lithuania on March 16 and is set to end on June 17.
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