When did people stop being drunk all the time?
lefineder.com
lefineder.com
Not mentioned is, that the answer to the headline and the explanation for the drop in England is very likely the introduction and wide adaptation of Laudanum among the poorest segments of society. Like Lobster being formerly food for the poor (its icky insects after all) same pattern is visible with opiates.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opium_trade Wiki also mentions it being the most effective treatment for dysentery and cholera. Here its worth mentioning that drinkable water was the initial reason for the adaptation of alcoholic beverages.
https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/articles/the-myth-of-medieval-sm...
Regardless, thank you for pointing that out.
By the time Prohibition was passed in 1920, there'd been near a hundred years of activism behind it. Evangelism and religiously informed politics have been apart of American domestic politics for a very very long time, which shouldn't surprise as the place was a refuge for Christian sects deemed too strict or antagonistic in Europe.
>When reconstructing consumption from taxes there is also the matter of personal production not captured by taxation, beer being a major product of consumption was consuming 12.5% of people’s salaries and was subsequently contributing around a 1/3 of government revenue in England and a 1/4 of government revenue in Holland, an amount equivalent to the contribution of Spanish silver to the revenue of Spain in the mid 17th century.
Something like 25% of European settlers were fleeing religious persecution. The vast majority were economic migrants.
Religious migrants: 20,000 (Massachusetts Bay) + 3,000 (Plymouth) + 10,000 (half of Maryland) + a few thousand (Rhode Island) + a few thousand (Quakers) = around 38,000
Economic migrants: 14,000 (Jamestown) + 10,000 (half of Maryland) + tens of thousands (Scotch-Irish) + tens of thousands (Germans) + a few thousand (Dutch and Swedish colonies) + a few thousand (French and Spanish colonies) = around 90,000 at least
It's a pretty sick myth that the country was founded to protect "religious freedom" when many of the Christian refugees were themselves vicious persecutors of anyone who didn't believe exactly what they believed.
The drink drive culture in the UK was very engrained.
Politicians driving to or from UK parliament on parliamentary business (having to vote) were exempt from the earlier drink drive laws until one of them killed or injured someone. Cant find the link for this anywhere now, so probably been silently cleaned up from the internet.
https://www.theregister.com/2007/10/22/drinking_made_it_all_...
Today we know some people have gut bacteria that make alcohol from sugar so will fail an alcohol breath test if stopped by the police.
Other factors include health of the liver and kidneys and other dietary factors, so in practice, its still all made up in my opinion.
Like another poster said, what a nonsensical argument. You are a walking example why immortality for humanity would be a terrible thing. It is better that old people with archaic beliefs like you die off so that you won't be around to inflict your ridiculous nostalgia 'for the good old times' on the rest of us.