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COVID-19: Why Toilet Paper?

Why Toilet Paper Hoarding

The following article is contributed by Eliza Teoh

The toilet paper mystery is solved! (I think). All it takes is a quick look back in history. I could not stand not knowing why people hoard toilet paper in times of crisis, so I did the research and this is what I found. This story involves a few things: a mindset of scarcity, poverty and rumours.

To cut a very long story short, our parents and grandparents have over the last few decades, lived through many cycles of economic boom, followed by recessions. They have lived long enough to know that basic necessities like food and everyday items could one day become too expensive to afford.

In Singapore, for example, older people would still remember food rationing exercises during the Japanese Occupation. They would also remember food scarcity when Singapore broke away from Malaysia, leading to a disruption in supplies.

Globally, there was a boom in food production from the 1950s to 1970s. But, that was disrupted by bad weather in 1972s and food prices once again rose. Poor people who could no longer afford to buy food suffered the most.

What does all this have to do with toilet paper?

Why Toilet Paper Hoarding COVID 19

Hang on, I’ll get to that. So, getting back to the story. What I mean to convey is that people had gone through cycles of food shortages and had memories of going hungry. They developed a mindset of scarcity (like your grandma who insists you eat up every grain of rice on your plate) and learnt to anticipate and watch for when the next food shortage would occur.

So, in 1973, when the Arab oil embargo disrupted global oil supply, it once again affected food production (which was already in decline due to bad weather), as well as the production of many other everyday consumer items. So, now we get to the toilet paper part.

Remember that by this time, many people were already quite good at looking out for the next shortage. Any rumour would spark panic buying.

So in Japan, in 1973, when people were already quite nervous because the prices of many things had already spiked, an Osaka supermarket flyer gave the wrong impression that toilet paper was in short supply. People in Osaka stampeded to buy toilet paper before prices went up. News footage of this caused similar scenes in other places in Japan, where many were injured in the stampedes.

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COVID-19: Why Toilet Paper? 7
Why Toilet Paper Hoarding COVID 19
Credit: Reddit

News of this spread to the US, where people – also a bit on edge because prices of goods had also risen there – started to get worried. Things were still under control until comedian Johnny Carson cracked a joke about it on his very popular The Tonight Show. He said (to his 20 million viewers), “You know, we’ve got all sorts of shortages these days. But have you heard the latest? I’m not kidding. I saw it in the papers. There’s a shortage of toilet paper!”

The next day Americans went crazy buying toilet paper. Prices rose, and toilet paper became a prized commodity. It was even bartered and traded – so at some point, you could argue that it was a currency (you know, like cigarettes in a prison). Stores started rationing toilet paper – which made things worse. This toilet paper frenzy lasted all the way till February 1974 when people realised that there really was no shortage. Johnny Carson issued a public apology for causing the toilet paper crisis (just google Johnny Carson and toilet paper scare if you want to read more about it).

So I guess historically, we’ve learnt to associate crisis with toilet paper shortage. This has held true in many recent crises around the world:

  • In 2011 in Japan, after the tsunami and earthquake, toilet paper ran out in many stores. So in 2014, in anticipation for the next earthquake, the Japanese government actually told people to BUY TOILET PAPER as part of their emergency preparedness! The government told Japanese people that 40% of Japan’s toilet paper supply comes from an earthquake zone, and that toilet paper supplies would be wiped out (haha no pun intended) during the next earthquake. This added to the “buy toilet paper in crisis” mindset.
  • In 2013, while Venezuela’s economy was collapsing, people suffered such a severe toilet paper shortage (in addition to the shortage of many basic items) that President Maduro sent troops to take over a toilet paper factory to ensure fair distribution. It didn’t help. People there faced a toilet paper shortage for years, even up to 2016.

So, super long story short, people (especially older people) do carry with them the weight of knowing what it’s like to live in times of scarcity. And they’ve learnt to anticipate and prepare for times of crisis. And when people hear rumours (founded or otherwise), they react. Leading to a sort of mass hysteria. And why toilet paper? Because past global crises have taught people that crisis = buy toilet paper. If anyone else has a better explanation, please tell me.

Why Toilet Paper Hoarding COVID 19

Afterthought: Decades from today, when some other crisis happens, maybe our kids will remember this moment in 2020 and think… Hmm, I remember a toilet paper shortage way back then… maybe I should just go buy a few packs… just in case. And then other people who see them will also start to buy toilet paper. This will then spark the panic buying, and before long, everyone will be in full-on toilet paper hysteria. And people will once again scratch their heads wondering “why toilet paper?” And that’s maybe how this toilet paper frenzy will repeat itself over and over (until humans figure out a better way to clean their butts).

Eliza is a former newspaper journalist and sub-editor from Singapore. She is also the national bestselling author of the Ellie Belly children’s book series. She is by no means an expert on toilet paper and this article was the result of a determination to figure out the inexplicable.

Written By

Chief Content Developer at The AXO

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