PROHIBITION IN U.S.A.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 1941, 8 October 1921, Page 7

PROHIBITION IN U.S.A.

A DISPASSIONATE OPINION. It all depends upon the point of view whether the observer thinks that prohibition in the United Stales is a failure, says the "New York Outlook." Such statistics as we can gather, such reports as wo hear, and such history as we read indicate that at least a majority ol" the people of the United States are in favour of prohibiting the use of alcohol as a beverage. It will be a long' time before the prohibition amendment is repealed, if it is ever repealed. The duty of all good citizens is now to see that it is fairly enforced, and that the experiment of classifying alcohol as a toxic drug, to be taken only with the greatest care and under medical necessity, shall be put to the test of honest trial. We are inclined to believe that if a whisky-less and saloon-less regime is honestly maintained for 25 years, the American babies now being born will, when they reach their majority, no more, think of taking alcohol for pleasure than any normal citizen now thinks of taking cocaine or heroin. There are drug addicts to-day and there probably always will be drug addicts, but nine men and women out of ten go through life, not only without using- narcotic drug's for pleasure, but without even knowing anything about the illicit sale or use of such drugs. It is conceivable that we may reach a stage of civilisation in which alcohol will take its place in this respect with pernicious drugs. If there are people who think it is cither fun or smart or productive of happiness to make home brew in a saucepan over the kitchen stove, we. should let them go on doing it. Most of them will get tired before long and stop of their own accord. Law enforcement should be directed to seeing that there is no importation or manufacture for sale of such beverages. Those who frequent gatherings of all sorts, fashionable and otherwise, doubtless here and there see a good deal of "hootch." We believe, however, that the sober facts show a very remarkable indication on the part of the people at large to respect law and a remarkable improvement in the conditions of crime and disease which, as physicians and scientists have always known, resu'u from the indiscriminate use of alcohol. It is extraordinary how, even in the big cities, which might have been expected to rebel with violence against prohibition, the mass of the population have accepted the new conditions. -