Social and Economic Control of Alcohol: The 21st Amendment in the 21st Century

As a toast to success, a drowning of sorrows, a rite of passage, and the fuel for most social activities, alcohol plays a central role in our culture. Alcohol generates nearly $160 billion in US revenues annually and is a major source of tax revenue, making the stakes in the modern debate over its use, misuse, and regulation staggeringly high. Factor in the costs of alcohol-related illness and addiction, alcohol-related deaths, evolving social mores, legal precedents, and increasingly aggre...