The Waterbury Democrat., 1940-12-10
BY MILTON BRONNER NEA Service Staff Correspondent


 Either Americans can drink more strong liquor and take it better than they did in the prohibition era or else they were being badly poisoned then by the "hooch" put out by bootleggers who catered to drink thirsty public.
 These are some of the conclusions rather forced upon the student of statistics on the seventh anni- versary of the repeal of prohibition. The battle, which seemed to end then, has not really ended Polls show considerable section of the American public still anxious for complete prohibition.
 In the recent elections the drys were active in some states. The vets are on the alert. There are indica- tions that the battle of statistics is to be resumed.
 Official figures supplied by the statistical offices of various branch eS of the liquor trade show that for the entire United States there has been increased consumption. WEST CONSUMES
 LESS LIQUOR
 Total consumption of distilled spirits in the first five months of 194O was 55,569,895 gallons, an in- crease of 5,O55 1895 over the same period in 1889.
 New York led with 6,327.082 gall Ions. Then followed, in the order named, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Cali fornia, Ohio, Michigan, Massachu- sets and New Jersey. The smallest consumer was the state of Wyom- ing, with 105, 5,190. The total consumption of wine in 1889 was 76,721,911 gallons, an increase of nearly ten million gall Ions over the preceding year. Cal ifornia, the chief native wine producing state, led all the rest in drinking it, the figure being 19,- 397, ,228 gallons, or just about one fourth the entire national con- sumption.
 In 1889 the United States drank 51 ,634 ,659 barrels of beer, an in crease of 1,412,047 barrels over the preceding year.
 TRACING DEATHS
 TO DRINKING
 Figures usually introduced to prove what strong drink does to people are those giving deaths from alcoholism, cirrhosis of the liver and from suicide.
 Census authorities, however, warn that figures may be tricky.
 For instance, the causes of sui eide may be other than too much drink. Thus suicides increased in peak years of the depression. Cir hosis of the liver Is sometimes caused by hard drinking, but there are many other causes
 Deaths from alcoholism can be attributed only to liquor, but here census authorities warn that the figures are far from accurate. In the first place, out of considera- tion for the family, many doctors do not like to certify alcoholism as a cause of death. Secondly. a large number of deaths involving alcoholism are charged statistically to other associated causes when onlY the primary cause of death is tabu- lated
 Deaths from alcoholism since re- peal have not reached the high attained during the dry period. The prohibition amendment went into effect Jan. 29, 1919, and was repealed by another amendment Dec. 5, 1883.
 Census figures show that in 1919, when the great experiment began, deaths from alcoholism per 100000 population were 1.6. They sank to 10 the next year and then began a steady rise until they reach- ed 40 in 1927 and 1928.
 Strangely enough, deaths from alcoholism began to drop in the depression was as follows: 1929. 3.7; 1880. 3.5; 1881, 3.3. The last figure reported by the census is for the year 1888. It is 20 deaths per 10O,- 900 population.
 FEWER SUICIDES
 SINCE REPEAL
 Greatest death period from all causes is between 65 and "A. The greatest from alcoholism is between 4S and 54.
 Contrary to expectations, New York state, with gay Broadway, does not rank tops in deaths from alcoholism. It is only ninth, with 4.3 per 100000.
 Nevada leads the procession with l'e. and Vermont Is lowest, with II.
 When prohibition went into effect in 1919 deaths from suicide wepe lonly i0.2 per 100000 fNa4'le. They