Episode notes
Episode 102: You Drink, You Die; The Chemists’ War
What happens when morality becomes a weapon? During Prohibition, the U.S. government tried to scare people away from drinking alcohol by poisoning industrial ethanol. Instead, it unbridled a wave of tragedy that claimed thousands of lives.
From speakeasies alive with whispered passwords, to fortunes gained through bootlegging, to hospitals overwhelmed on Christmas Eve, this is the story of the Chemists’ War—a cautionary tale of zealotry, crime, and needless suffering.
And a reminder that freedom stumbles when personal choices are legislated.
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Keywords
prohibitionpoisoningtemperancebootleggingspeakeasiesdenatured alcohol18th Amendment21st AmendmentChemists' WarVolstead Actindustrial alcoholtemperance movement