The 18th Amendment was a boon to public health

[Polishprince]

The legal prohibition of the imbibing of beverages of a liquorious nature caused deaths from cirrhosis OTL to plummet sharply during the roaring 20's. This is in spite of the fact that Prohibition Era alcohol like Bathtub Gin and Bathtub Tequila are documented to be a lot harder on the liver than proper booze.

Yet, in spite of these undisputed facts, the 21st Amendment passed and the right to get loaded was affirmed a dozen years later.

Will the country think the same of the Corona Panic and Mask Hysteria in a few years? Will they say we need to accept corona deaths like we have with cirrhosis deaths, as part of the price for public peace.

Prohibition: death rate due to liver cirrhosis US | Statista

Liver cirrhosis is a chronic disease, which occurs when long-term damage and scarring to the liver prevents it from functioning to its full capacity.

www.statista.com

 

[Moonglow]

In the 1920's doctor's could prescribe alcohol for certain conditions and ailments so the entire family was in need of the prescribed medicine until prohibition ended.

 

[Polishprince]

In the 1920's doctor's could prescribe alcohol for certain conditions and ailments so the entire family was in need of the prescribed medicine until prohibition ended.

There were definitely loopholes , but the facts are still that Prohibition did cut the amount of drinking down tremendously.

Also, BTW, membership in some synagogues rose exponentially as the use of booze for Jewish ceremonies in the home was also allowed.

 

[dblack]

The legal prohibition of the imbibing of beverages of a liquorious nature caused deaths from cirrhosis OTL to plummet sharply during the roaring 20's. This is in spite of the fact that Prohibition Era alcohol like Bathtub Gin and Bathtub Tequila are documented to be a lot harder on the liver than proper booze.

Yet, in spite of these undisputed facts, the 21st Amendment passed and the right to get loaded was affirmed a dozen years later.

Will the country think the same of the Corona Panic and Mask Hysteria in a few years? Will they say we need to accept corona deaths like we have with cirrhosis deaths, as part of the price for public peace.

No. The comparison isn't valid. Alcoholism isn't a communicable respiratory disease. You can't catch it standing in line at the grocery store.

Again, the quarantine measures are necessary and justified on the grounds of protecting the commons - keeping the air clean and breathable for everyone. Not because government has a responsibility to force healthy habits on everyone. It has neither responsibility, nor the Constitutional authority, to do that.

 

[Moonglow]

In the 1920's doctor's could prescribe alcohol for certain conditions and ailments so the entire family was in need of the prescribed medicine until prohibition ended.

There were definitely loopholes , but the facts are still that Prohibition did cut the amount of drinking down tremendously.

Also, BTW, membership in some synagogues rose exponentially as the use of booze for Jewish ceremonies in the home was also allowed.

An addict will use any substance to satiate the desire and the reward stimuli.

 

[Darkwind]

The legal prohibition of the imbibing of beverages of a liquorious nature caused deaths from cirrhosis OTL to plummet sharply during the roaring 20's. This is in spite of the fact that Prohibition Era alcohol like Bathtub Gin and Bathtub Tequila are documented to be a lot harder on the liver than proper booze.

Yet, in spite of these undisputed facts, the 21st Amendment passed and the right to get loaded was affirmed a dozen years later.

Will the country think the same of the Corona Panic and Mask Hysteria in a few years? Will they say we need to accept corona deaths like we have with cirrhosis deaths, as part of the price for public peace.

No. The comparison isn't valid. Alcoholism isn't a communicable respiratory disease. You can't catch it standing in line at the grocery store.

Again, the quarantine measures are necessary and justified on the grounds of protecting the commons - keeping the air clean and breathable for everyone. Not because government has a responsibility to force healthy habits on everyone. It has neither responsibility, nor the Constitutional authority, to do that.

There is, in fact, very little to justify it.

Common sense tells you that you do not quarantine healthy people Just the sick ones.

 

[dblack]

The legal prohibition of the imbibing of beverages of a liquorious nature caused deaths from cirrhosis OTL to plummet sharply during the roaring 20's. This is in spite of the fact that Prohibition Era alcohol like Bathtub Gin and Bathtub Tequila are documented to be a lot harder on the liver than proper booze.

Yet, in spite of these undisputed facts, the 21st Amendment passed and the right to get loaded was affirmed a dozen years later.

Will the country think the same of the Corona Panic and Mask Hysteria in a few years? Will they say we need to accept corona deaths like we have with cirrhosis deaths, as part of the price for public peace.

No. The comparison isn't valid. Alcoholism isn't a communicable respiratory disease. You can't catch it standing in line at the grocery store.

Again, the quarantine measures are necessary and justified on the grounds of protecting the commons - keeping the air clean and breathable for everyone. Not because government has a responsibility to force healthy habits on everyone. It has neither responsibility, nor the Constitutional authority, to do that.

There is, in fact, very little to justify it.

Common sense tells you that you do not quarantine healthy people Just the sick ones.

"Common sense" often misses the boat like that.

 

[Tom Paine 1949]

This is actually an interesting comparison. People forget that Prohibition was passed largely as a “progressive” cause, backed by the women’s movement and dressed up in moral terms so even most religious traditionalists were willing to give it a go. By the way, it was NOT a conspiracy. But various Puritan, ethnic and class obsessions of U.S. society certainly manifested themselves in the Prohibitionist Movement. I don’t know how in retrospect history will judge our handling of the Covid-19 epidemic, but I suppose many will ridicule or even pity us. Probably a lot will depend on whether other epidemics arise, how we dig ourselves out of the economic hole we are in, and political developments as well.

From the start of this epidemic I felt it would be a test of our highly individualistic society vs. more totalitarian or cohesive/collectivist ones. I thought we would not respond as effectively as say China or Singapore. Obviously that has turned out to be the case.

But I’d like to believe that our society has great resilience. Hope this is not a mere fantasy.

P.S. We are still busy blaming other countries for our Covid-19 AND drug problems. Everybody from China to Venezuela to Mexico gets conveniently targeted. As if they are conspiring against us, forcing us to kill ourselves. As if they are imposing “Opium Wars” on our helpless compatriots.