On This Day… The Anti-beer Law
Written by: George Chittenden : 13 Jun 2019
It was on this day, 23rd November, back in 1921 when US President Warren G. Harding signed the Willis-Campell Act forbidding doctors to prescribe beer or liquor for medicinal purposes. The idea of doctors prescribing medicinal alcohol to their patients seems quite strange now doesn’t it? of course back then in 1921 America was in its second year of National Prohibition too so the government were keen to tie up any loopholes in the system.
The Willis-Campbell Act is often referred to as the anti-beer law. It allowed physicians to prescribe only wine or distilled spirits to patients, but it could never exceed 24% alcohol by volume. The act also limited the number of prescription forms the government could issue to a doctor, down to one-hundred per month. The law even limited the total amount of alcohol that could be prescribed to any patient, allowing one pint per person per ten-day period.
US President Warren G. Harding
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