Pubdate: Sat, 05 May 2012
Source: Vancouver Sun (CN BC)
Copyright: 2012 The Vancouver Sun
Contact: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/letters.html
Website: http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/477
Author: George Kosinski

ALCOHOL PROHIBITION DID NOT SAVE LIVES

Re: Legalizing marijuana is a halfbaked idea, Letters, May 3

Ted Cooper of Powell River asserts that "there was a dramatic 
reduction of documented alcohol-related morbidity and mortality 
during the Prohibition era."

This differs quite radically from the report of the U. S. Senate 
Judiciary Committee Hearings on National Prohibition, 1926, which 
provides statistics indicating that, while deaths due to alcohol 
consumption in Cook County had declined substantially during the 
decade before the institution of alcohol prohibition, during 
Prohibition they rose to the highest level yet.

This should not be regarded as a surprising statistic, since roughly 
2,000 people died each year in the U. S. during Prohibition from 
drinking bootleg liquor containing deadly contaminants. Many others 
were permanently blinded and suffered other serious but non-fatal 
health effects.

Cooper's concern over bootleg marijuana in a post-prohibition world 
fails to consider that people would be motivated to buy legal 
marijuana, due to confidence that it will be free of dangerous contaminants.

George Kosinski

Gibsons
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