THE DECREASED ALCOHOLIC CONTENT OF BEER WILL INCREASE DRUNKENNESS
The decree of President Wilson that beer brewed henceforth in the
United States during the pendency of the war shall not contain more
than 2.75 per cent alcohol by weight, which is equivalent to
3.4 per cent by volume,[Footnote: _This does not include ale and
porter, the alcoholic content of which is permitted to remain
considerably in excess of that of beer_.] and that the amount of
grain used in its manufacture shall be reduced to approximately
seventy per cent of the volume used heretofore, will not decrease
intoxication, but it has caused intense jubilation among the
brewers. They pronounce it a great victory over the "dry" forces,
and they have lost no time in again broadly proclaiming the virtues
of their product and its "food" value.
The slightly reduced alcoholic content of beer will still be ample
to produce a high state of intoxication if, as is usually the case,
it is consumed immoderately. In substantiation of my contention I
need but cite the irrefutable fact that a barrel of beer holding
31 gallons would still contain a whole gallon of alcohol.
Where the great danger lies is that the widely heralded reduction
of the alcoholic content and the claim of the brewers that beer
is now to be classed as a true temperance drink will tend to greatly
deceive the public and thus largely increase its consumption, in
most cases to cause "the same intoxicating effect as before."
Besides, it has already become a common practice among many misguided
drinkers to produce the desired "kick" by pouring whiskey, and even
plain alcohol into the beer.
In my opinion, therefore, the reduced alcoholic content will make
the consumption of beer still more harmful than before, because,
instead of diminishing drunkenness, it will have the opposite
effect--and the brewers will be the big gainers because the new
order of things will not only largely increase their output, but
it will also reduce the cost of production without cutting the
selling price. And, by reason of their increased output, they
will use the same amount of grain as before.
Even with the reduced alcoholic content the beer drinker will consume
more alcohol than the whiskey drinker.