Excerpt of a Presidential Address by H. V. Drew, F.R.C.S. Annual Meeting of the New Zealand Branch, Timaru, 1912. Published in NZMJ 1912 March;11(41):1-8.My next subject is alcohol and this was made an important question at the last general election, many thousands of people with no knowledge of the subject, voting for or against according to individual fancy, or by the direction of some equally innocent, but more interested person.Alcohol, like most other intoxicants, may be used beneficially, or injuriously; and it seems a mistake to deal with it by attempting to abolish it from the country—I say attempt advisedly, for I have not yet heard how fermentation is to be prevented, and unless this can be done alcohol will be formed and used.There seems to be a natural craving in the human race for alcohol and, subject to correction, I believe that every native race has some equivalent for \"the wine of the country.\" If the manufacture and sale of alcohol could be stopped, it is, I think, very doubtful if some pernicious drug would not take its place.The method advocated by some of attempting to deal with the subject by prohibiting some healthy people for the sake of attempting to reclaim a few degenerates who would, from a racial standpoint be far better out of the way, seems to me illogical and not worthy of a free and self-respecting people. This is another attempt to begin at the wrong end, which must result in disaster; for with prohibition would come laxity in training the children and the resisting power of the individual, as the result of moral training, would undoubtedly be weakened.

Excerpt of a Presidential Address by H. V. Drew, F.R.C.S. Annual Meeting of the New Zealand Branch, Timaru, 1912. Published in NZMJ 1912 March;11(41):1-8.My next subject is alcohol and this was made an important question at the last general election, many thousands of people with no knowledge of the subject, voting for or against according to individual fancy, or by the direction of some equally innocent, but more interested person.Alcohol, like most other intoxicants, may be used beneficially, or injuriously; and it seems a mistake to deal with it by attempting to abolish it from the country—I say attempt advisedly, for I have not yet heard how fermentation is to be prevented, and unless this can be done alcohol will be formed and used.There seems to be a natural craving in the human race for alcohol and, subject to correction, I believe that every native race has some equivalent for \"the wine of the country.\" If the manufacture and sale of alcohol could be stopped, it is, I think, very doubtful if some pernicious drug would not take its place.The method advocated by some of attempting to deal with the subject by prohibiting some healthy people for the sake of attempting to reclaim a few degenerates who would, from a racial standpoint be far better out of the way, seems to me illogical and not worthy of a free and self-respecting people. This is another attempt to begin at the wrong end, which must result in disaster; for with prohibition would come laxity in training the children and the resisting power of the individual, as the result of moral training, would undoubtedly be weakened.