Competition among producers of goods and services benefits consumers. It increases consumer choice, reduces prices, and improves customer service. Therefore, alcohol monopolies are anti-consumer. Monopolies Harm Consumers It was abolishing the old telephone monopoly that made possible the dramatic expansion of communication products that we take for granted today. And it was deregulation of the …
The U.S. Congress passed the Webb-Kenyon Act in 1913. It prohibited interstate “shipment or transportation” of alcoholic beverages “in violation of any law of [any] State, Territory, or District of the United States.” The Act was sponsored by Rep. Edwin Y. Webb, Democrat of North Carolina and William S. Kenyon, Republican of Iowa. It passed …
Anti-Saloon League founder Howard Hyde Russell founded the Lincoln-Lee Legion in 1903. It was to promote the signing of total alcohol abstinence pledges by children. The organization was originally called the Lincoln Legion. However, in 1912 it was renamed the Lincoln-Lee League. That was to make it more appealing to Southern children and their parents. …
The American Council on Alcohol Problems is a prohibition-oriented federation of state affiliates. It currently promotes a neo-prohibitionist agenda to stigmatize alcohol and marginalize those adults who choose to consume any alcoholic beverage. Even its logo shows a bottle of alcohol crossed out. The Council was known as the Anti-Saloon League from 1893 until 1948. …
The American Temperance Union (ATU) began in 1836. Its goal was to promote temperance. In doing so it published the Journal of the American Temperance Union for adults. And for young people it published Youth’s Temperance Advocate. In addition the Union published books, reports, pamphlets and other materials. All printings promoted the temperance movement. Temperance …
Dr. Dio Lewis, officially Diocletian Lewis (1823-1886), was a temperance leader. However, he was also a preacher, feminist, social reformer, and food/health faddist. And many considered Lewis to be an eccentric. Background His father had been a “notorious drunkard.” Perhaps that led to his strong belief that alcohol was a great evil. Lewis illegally used …
Cora F. Stoddard was a leading proponent of temperance and National Prohibition of alcohol. She served for 30 years as the head of the Scientific Temperance Federation. Ms. Stoddard was the personal secretary of Mary Hunt. Hunt was founding head of the Department of Scientific Temperance Instruction in Schools and Colleges. That was an important …
Many countries have drinking guidelines. These show what governments consider reasonable drinking levels. However, drinking guidelines differ widely. Some maximum levels are twice as high as others. Yet the medical research findings are available to all countries! I. Guidelines not Science-Based It’s clear that these maximum consumption levels have little basis in medical research. Instead, …
Dr. Thomas Sewall was no ordinary doctor. And he was no ordinary temperance activist either. Sewall was born on April 16, 1786 in Hallowell, Maine. He graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1812. His major contribution to the temperance movement was his highly popular eight graphic drawings. He said they showed “alcohol diseased stomachs.” Sewall …
Many early temperance societies were actually alcohol moderation organizations. That’s because ‘temperance’ means moderation. And it meant moderation to them. I. Alcoholic Drink Equivalence The temperance movement began by encouraging drinkers to consume in moderation. It didn’t try to enforce abstinence from all alcohol. Instead, it only called for people to abstain from liquor (distilled …
