There are 31 municipalities looking to fill the position of Town Drunk, up from 22 just a year ago.
“Many of them are moving onto other jobs,” says Jill Timrod of the Ballter Institute, “mainly in government, though mechanical engineering is claiming quite a few.”
Ironically, the shortage is coming at a time when it’s easier than ever to qualify for the position.
“You no longer have to go staggering down Main Street in the middle of the night, singing ‘My Wild Irish Rose’ and getting locked up by the sherriff,” says Timrod. “Today you can qualify with a blood alcohol content of just 0.6.”
Also, she says it’s no longer necessary to be a disheveled older man, and that many younger women are accepting the positions as they pursue college degrees.
Given the shortage, some places have taken to sharing their town drunks, which means they have to split the peak hours of 11 PM to 3 AM between two towns. So unless the two places can afford transportation, it means the drunks have to remain sober in order to drive back and forth.
“That’s not an optimal situation,” says Timrod. “The position may be evolving, but the bottom line is that a town drunk needs to be at least somewhat drunk.”
