[quoteModeration is fine and the way to go, but I find the whole prohibition movement and past prohibition laws (in the USA) really quite ridiculous and totally in-effective.

John, I agree with you 100%. You really nailed it.

My reference was to the total effect.

Prohibition didn't arise out of a vacuum. Prior to Prohibition, the mass production of alcohol in combination with the total breakdown in social structure created a national disaster for many countries. Most people think in terms of the "good ole days" and that our social ills today stand stark against the backdrop of historical "peace and prosperity" that existed in the "1800's". Nothing could be farther from the truth. During the Industrial Revolution, as mass influx to cities, the development of a worker class and hours worked soared, so did the destruction of many cultural norms.

Prohibition addressed certain problems arising all over the developing Western world; witness the fact that the USA was not the only country to institute such laws. Several Scandinavian countries did also, with, I believe, Finland being the most recent country to relax their extensive Prohibition laws.

My point was that Prohibition, tho as you say, ridiculous in many ways, put a point on the need to address these issues. Prohibition wouldn't have garnered the support it did in democracies if many didn't see the problems.

Also as you so rightly state, many of the "wine countries" didn't see the same level of trouble with alcohol as occured in the "beer and spirit countries". And, wherever the Eucharist was performed with wine, resistance to total Prohition was made by the churches {Roman Catholic, Orthodox, some Lutheran, etc}. Indeed, this was a point of contention between some of us Lutherans and other Protestants during the Prohibition years.

Anyway, from a young age, my kids were able to tell the difference between a Merlot and a Cabernet, and interestingly JUST AS YOU SAY, the "forbidden" nature of alcohol hasn't been an enticement for them. In fact, though they have utterly no qualms with drinking, idiotic behavior as a result of it is no attraction to them.

Funny conundrum arose at school one day some years ago...

The school has a "No Tolerance" alcohol policy and doesn't allow school sports participation unless a form is signed by the student promising not to use it {a silly rule for all the obvious reasons}. Anyway, one of my daughters who was particularly concerned with the truth of it all refused to sign and went to the school administration and told them she wanted to play sports but as a Christian, she couldn't sign such a thing since she "used alcohol" at the celebration of the Lord's Supper at Church and wouldn't lie and didn't want give up for track and field either. The administration stumbled for a moment and then caved. Evidently no kid had ever shocked them with this sort of honesty before!

Yes, plus one for God's grace, red wine and a little kid!