ADDRESS BY MISS EDMED

White Ribbon, Volume 19, Issue 3, 1 April 1947, Page 14

ADDRESS BY MISS EDMED

“The Responsibility of the Liquor Traffic for Road Accidents v Crime and Disease” In a concise, but very full statement on the aliovr* subject, Miss Edmed "talked” her address preferring tins to reading it. She was beard with the closest attention. Speaking of road accidents, Miss Kdmed was very careful to avoid any exaggeration of the position, giving a most conservative estimate of the proportion ot accidents due to alcoholic indulgence. Her conclusion, however, was ♦fiat even one life lost, or one body maimed by avoidable accident, was one too many. Accidents were bound to occur, through circumstances in which no one was to blame, but these caused by drink should never occur. She showed bow the sight and judgment of the driver were so affected by the smallest amount of alcohol as to make the driver a danger to himself and others. Quoting from Lord Chief Justice Alvaston, who had forty years experience at the bar, and ten as Judge, the sjxaker said that 90% of crime was caused by drink, or nine out of every ten cases. One violation of the law leads to others, as was seen in cases over and over again. Miss Kdmed gave details as they were published by the Alliance in election literature, and the picture was very dark. Regarding disease, certain forms had lieen shown to lie practically incurable if the patient were alcoholic in his habits. Among these, tuberculosis was prominent and also all throat and chest troubles. The dangerous effect on the nervous system was illustrated by reference to a test carried out among men in a shooting comj*etition. The contestants abstained entirely for one month before the te-ts were made. The average of bull’s-eyes in the first tests were 26 and 23. In the evening, after half a wine glass of brandy, the average was three. Another test was carried out in a "mistakes" experiment. For the etetotal te-t the avtrage was one hundred mistakes; but after two-fifths of a pint of beer, the average was two hundred ami thirteen. The men affected were all certain they were doing much better after their drink, hut their self-satisfaction would not be considered warranted except by those who themselves had blunted their |>erception» by drinking. 1 f

In the case of venereal rise *e, it was shown that drink made any jiennancnt cure practically ini|»ossible. Even after treatment and temporary cure, the patient who drank would become infected again through his utter lack of self-control. Insanity follow’s in many instances. The unbelievable thing is that people should still vote in favour of keeping this evil thing in our midst Some who would vote against it are afraid because of what they have heard aliout U.S.A., ndt realising that they have not heard the whole truth, and that they have l**cn given a misleading account of what prohibition really did in America.