I'm reading a book by Christopher Snowden, The Art of Suppression.
The first 98 pages provide a detailed history of efforts at alcoholic beverage control. I knew about the U.S. Prohibition period, but never knew that some of the efforts to wipe out use of alcohol were world-wide. I also had never given much thought to "temperance" versus "prohibition." I have often seen the terms used interchangeably.
But Snowden's book opened my eyes to the fact that there were two warring factions at work throughout the latter half of the 19th century and start of the 20th century. Early temperance reformers merely wanted drinking to be done in moderation--to reduce the harm done to the drinker and his/her family. Some of the methods they promoted included limiting the hours of operation of pubs and saloons, reducing the percent of alcohol in some beverages, and prohibiting sale of alcoholic beverages on Sundays. Prohibitionists, on the other hand, wanted to totally eliminate drinking of alcoholic beverages.
The U.S. great experiment was the passage of the 18th amendment, which outlawed the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors. The law took effect in January of 1920. The appellation "The Roaring Twenties" gives you an idea of how well the law worked to extinguish drinking. By the time the 18th Amendment was repealed in 1933, it was obvious that the measure was a massive failure. Criminal activity increased, rather than decreasing as the reformers expected it to. Worker productivity did not increase as expected. Jails became filled with those convicted of infractions.
I see a couple of parallels:
Today's tobacco control (TC) leaders have made it clear that their goal is to eradicate tobacco completely. Slogans such as "Toward a tobacco-free world" and practices the substitution of "tobacco" where the word "smoking" is more appropriate make their intentions clear. TC would be equivalent to the prohibitionists who got the 18th Amendment passed.
Those of us who believe in Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) are similar to the folks who believe in temperance (moderation). We would like to see the disease and death associated with tobacco use be reduced, and believed that the best way to do that is to find less hazardous substitutes for smoking.
Prohibition/TC proponents view themselves as morally right.
Temperance/THR proponents see themselves as realists.
Prohibition/TC proponents often exaggerate the dangers and ignore the benefits of the target drug.
The first 98 pages provide a detailed history of efforts at alcoholic beverage control. I knew about the U.S. Prohibition period, but never knew that some of the efforts to wipe out use of alcohol were world-wide. I also had never given much thought to "temperance" versus "prohibition." I have often seen the terms used interchangeably.
But Snowden's book opened my eyes to the fact that there were two warring factions at work throughout the latter half of the 19th century and start of the 20th century. Early temperance reformers merely wanted drinking to be done in moderation--to reduce the harm done to the drinker and his/her family. Some of the methods they promoted included limiting the hours of operation of pubs and saloons, reducing the percent of alcohol in some beverages, and prohibiting sale of alcoholic beverages on Sundays. Prohibitionists, on the other hand, wanted to totally eliminate drinking of alcoholic beverages.
The U.S. great experiment was the passage of the 18th amendment, which outlawed the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors. The law took effect in January of 1920. The appellation "The Roaring Twenties" gives you an idea of how well the law worked to extinguish drinking. By the time the 18th Amendment was repealed in 1933, it was obvious that the measure was a massive failure. Criminal activity increased, rather than decreasing as the reformers expected it to. Worker productivity did not increase as expected. Jails became filled with those convicted of infractions.
I see a couple of parallels:
Today's tobacco control (TC) leaders have made it clear that their goal is to eradicate tobacco completely. Slogans such as "Toward a tobacco-free world" and practices the substitution of "tobacco" where the word "smoking" is more appropriate make their intentions clear. TC would be equivalent to the prohibitionists who got the 18th Amendment passed.
Those of us who believe in Tobacco Harm Reduction (THR) are similar to the folks who believe in temperance (moderation). We would like to see the disease and death associated with tobacco use be reduced, and believed that the best way to do that is to find less hazardous substitutes for smoking.
Prohibition/TC proponents view themselves as morally right.
Temperance/THR proponents see themselves as realists.
Prohibition/TC proponents often exaggerate the dangers and ignore the benefits of the target drug.
