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When did people stop being drunk all the time?

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Summary

This article examines the trends in alcohol consumption from the Middle Ages to the modern world. It is estimated that the average person consumed about a liter of beer a day in the pre-industrial era, which is roughly four times as much as the amount of alcohol consumed in modern beer-drinking countries. This amount of alcohol was equivalent to two-four times the amount of pure alcohol consumed today. In the Medieval city of Ghent, per capita annual consumption was 40-liters of wine and 1300-liters of beer. Beer was also responsible for 12.5% of people's salaries in 1734, and contributed one-third of government revenue in England and one-quarter in Holland. People also engaged in the personal production of beer in order to avoid paying dues. During the onset of the British Industrial Revolution (1780-1800s), the consumption of beer decreased to 1-3% of people’s salary and brewers only accounted for 0.3 of the labor force. This transformation was driven by economic forces and was later supported by the Temperance Movement. Additionally, in wine-drinking countries, people consumed more alcohol than in beer-drinking countries.

Q&As

What was the average person's daily alcohol consumption in the pre-industrial era?
The average person's daily alcohol consumption in the pre-industrial era was about a liter of beer a day, which is around four times as much as consumption in modern beer-drinking countries.

How much of people's salaries were used to buy beer in 1734?
12.5% of people's salaries were used to buy beer in 1734.

How much of the labor force was comprised of brewers in 1841?
0.3 of the labor force was comprised of brewers in 1841.

What changes in alcohol consumption occurred during the industrial revolution?
During the industrial revolution, there was a transition to a low rate of beer consumption, an increase in work hours to around 3500s yearly hours of work, and the elimination of “sacred Monday” as a day in which time is taken off work.

What was the prevalence of drunkenness in the archdeacon court of Colchester between 1600-40?
The prevalence of drunkenness in the archdeacon court of Colchester between 1600-40 was around 2% of all offenses in the court.

AI Comments

👍 This article provides a detailed and comprehensive analysis of the history of alcohol consumption, from the middle ages up to modern times. It contains useful insights into how societal changes, such as the industrial revolution, have impacted alcohol consumption.

👎 This article does not provide any meaningful solutions or policy recommendations for current alcohol-related issues. Furthermore, it does not discuss the potential health risks of alcohol consumption.

AI Discussion

Me: It talks about the changes in alcohol consumption from the middle ages to modern day. It looks at how people used to consume alcohol in huge quantities, and how that has changed in the modern day, particularly with the onset of the Industrial Revolution.

Friend: That's really interesting. What are the implications of the article?

Me: Well, the article highlights the fact that people used to consume much higher levels of alcohol than they do today. This had a wide range of impacts, from contributing to a large portion of people's daily calorie intake to contributing to a large percentage of government revenue. This had social impacts too, as higher levels of alcohol consumption led to more drunkenness and related issues. With the Industrial Revolution, alcohol consumption levels dropped dramatically, and this had an impact on people's lifestyles and on the economy. This suggests that economic changes can have a big impact on our relationship with alcohol.

Action items

Research the impact of wine consumption on alcohol-related problems in comparison to beer consumption.
Investigate the economic and cultural factors that led to the transformation of alcohol consumption in the industrial era.
Analyze the role of the temperance movement in the restriction of alcohol consumption.

Technical terms

Lefineder: This is not a technical term.
Mono-drink: A mono-drink is a type of alcoholic beverage that is consumed exclusively in a particular region or culture.
Tax revenues: Tax revenues are the money collected by a government from taxes.
Government revenue: Government revenue is the total amount of money a government collects from taxes, fees, and other sources.
Spanish silver: Spanish silver is a type of silver mined in Spain during the 16th and 17th centuries.
Probate records: Probate records are legal documents that provide information about a deceased person's estate.
Malt beer: Malt beer is a type of beer made from malted barley.
Old Bailey: The Old Bailey is a criminal court in London, England.
Temperance movement: The temperance movement is a social movement that advocates for the moderation or abstinence of alcohol consumption.
Industrial Revolution: The Industrial Revolution was a period of rapid economic and social change in Europe and North America from the mid-18th century to the mid-19th century.