PROHIBITION’S EVIL

Hokitika Guardian, 16 August 1929, Page 5

PROHIBITION’S EVIL

USE OF ALCOHOL DOUBLED

COPENHAGEN, June 28

The World’s League against Prohibition opened its Congress here to-day, when Dr M. E. Ernrootli, of Helsingfors, lectured on the 10 years’ experience of Prohibition in 'Finland.

Before Prohibition, he said, Finland’s consumption of alcohol for medical use was approximately 44,000 gallons. In 1926 and 1927 the pharmacies sold about 570,000 gallons for medical use,

Alcohol could be had easily, and its consumption had much more than doubled since Prohibition. Last year the Finnish police had 100,000 cases of crime due to alcohol, and the statistics showed that 86 per cent of all serious crimes of violence were due to the unlawful consumption of alcohol. The 10 years’ experience showed that Prohibition had been most detrimental to the Finnish people.

Mr Hairy Earnshaw, of Edinburgh, told the congress here to-day of the AVorld League against Prohibition that the Scottish Temperance Act had proved an absolute failure. It had led to the increased drinking of methylated spirit. Illicit stills were common, and in the significant number of areas which had adopted no-license much liquor was imported from outside and illegal trading was rampant.

Mr* Hugh Fox, of New York, said that Prohibition in America- had led to the wholesale undermining of public and private morals.