Hogarth: Gin Lane (1751)

Here is a depiction of some of the horrors caused by that evil beverage called gin. Cheap gin caused the urban masses to go to rack and ruin. Gin was 'foreign' (Dutch) and therefore bad. Beer was on the other hand British and therefore good (hence Hogarth's accompanying print Beer Street, which shows an orderly scene). I like a drop of gin myself, but I must confess it has never had any of these effects on me.
The church was up in arms about the effects of gin upon people's morality. The government worried about this too, and also about the fact it didn't raise much revenue on it, as most of what was consumed had been produced illegally. It was often distilled with such dangerous ingredients as turpentine, so did pose a major risk to the public health. The government's main concern was as follows. If the poor were too drunk to work properly, then their productivity would fall, thereby impacting on the profits of the business community. The Gin Act was passed in 1751, and this greatly reduced the amount of gin which was sold and consumed. Hogarth's print was influential in the passing of this piece of legislation. But let us not forget that this act was passed for financial reasons, and not in consideration of people's health.