The American issue. [volume] (Westerville, Ohio) 1912-19??, 1922-02-10
TEMPERANCE FIGHT IN
COLUMBIA WAKES HOT
Department of Hygiene Moves
for Founding League Against
Alcoholism
LEAGUE PLAN COMPLETE
All Temperance Societies to be
Auxiliary to National
Organization

Under the heading Colombia Fights
Alcoholism" the Peruvian newspaper
FL Commercial, Lima, January II,
1922, quoting from Colombian dailies,
conveys the following information
relative to the temperance fight in Co.
lomba:
In response to the agitation by the
National Academy OF Medicine for a
nationwide temperance campaign, the
National Bureau or Department of
Hygiene has passed a resolution for
the creation at Bogata OF commits
sion to establish national league
against alcoholism. The commission
is to be composed OF ten members
five TO be appointed by the Bureau of
Hygiene, and four by the National
Academy of Medicine. The commits
sion will constitute the executive body
of the league.
The resolution provides for the car
rying out of very comprehensive
plan of action against intemperancc.
by the league. The organization will
have to deal with social, legal, and adj
ministrative measures for combating
the use OF intoxicants, and will be
charged with the formation and STU
pervision of temperance societies
which will be auxiliary to the national
league. 1t will demand of public Off
cialS, the enforcement of existing 1iq-
uor laws, and will seek the passage
OF law prohibiting the Introduction
and sale of brandy, whisky, rum.
aguardiente, and other liquors OF this
class, and OF wines containing more
than twelve per cent alcohol. Failing
to secure this prohibition. the league
will request that much higher tariff
be placed on imported liquors than
that in force at present.
An attempt will also be made to
prohibit the manufacture OF all spir-
ituous liquors, and ii this is not pos
sible heavy tax on production will
be demanded.
Conditions among the working pco-
pie will be investigated for the pur-
pose of determining how their physi-
cal welfare may be improved. The
league will conduct an education cam
paign through the press and by means
of public conferences, with view to
impressing the authorities and the
people with the serious effects OF al
coholism, and the necessity OF re-
pressing it. An effort will be made
to reduce the number OF drink shops
throughout the country and to limit
them proportionately TO population.
a drive will also be made to prevent
the sale of liquor in places concealed
from the public view, and to limit the
hours and days when liquor is sold.
Other objects of the league will be to
prohibit the liquor traffic i'll suburban
districts and other localities without
proper police protection; to secure the
imposition OF heavy taxes on clubs,
hotels, etc, which dispense intoxi-
cants; and to have established a
monopoly of alcoholic products, not
for department revenues, but as a
means of restriction. 1t is advocated
that all revenue derived from such a
monopoly be contributed to the sup
port OF temperance leagues.
The resolution calls attention to the
fact that alcoholism contributes to the
spreading OF tuberculosis and infec-
tious diseases, that it is factor in
causing insanity epilepsy, and crime,
and that the death rate is greatly in
creased by its ravages.
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