Alcohol Prohibition and Tobacco Regulation in Canada

Comprehensive review flashcards covering the history of alcohol prohibition, temperance movements, and tobacco regulation in Canada based on Susan Boyd's Chapter 5 lecture notes.

According to national statistics cited in the lecture, how did past-year alcohol abuse compare to illicit drug use (such as cocaine/crack) among Canadians aged $15$ and older?

$76\%$ of Canadians over the age of $15$ reported abusing alcohol in the past year, compared to only $1\%$ who consumed cocaine or crack.

Why did historical attempts to criminalize alcohol for extended periods ultimately fail in Canada?

They failed due to powerful commercial interests and because alcohol was widely consumed by white citizens across diverse social classes, rather than being confined to marginalized or racialized groups.

How do international treaties governing alcohol and tobacco compare to international regulations on illicit narcotic drugs?

There are no international treaties regulating alcohol, and the global regulations outlined in the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control are weak compared to the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.

What are the key characteristics and traditional uses of Nicotiana rustica among Indigenous peoples in North America?

It was an easily cultivated plant representing one of North America's earliest forms of agriculture; because its smoke was harsh, it was not inhaled into the lungs, but sprinkled onto burning fire or scattered on the earth for sacred and ceremonial purposes.

How did the $1895$ amendment to the Indian Act impact Indigenous cultivation and trade of tobacco?

It suppressed Indigenous cultural and spiritual practices and made it illegal for Indigenous peoples in Canada to sell tobacco cultivated on their farms.

Who established Canada's first tobacco factory, and in what year did it open?

William C Macdonald opened Canada's first tobacco factory near Montreal in $1858$, giving rise to Macdonald Tobacco.

Which harms to youth did the Canadian Women's Christian Temperance Union associate with cigarette smoking on their $1882$ poster?

Cheating, lying, insanity, loss of manhood, and moral depravity.

What were the provisions and penalties established by the Tobacco Restraint Act of $1908$?

It prohibited the sale of cigarettes to anyone under the age of $16$, establishing a reprimand for a first offence and a $\$1$ fine for a second offence.

How did World War I alter the public perception and consumption format of tobacco products?

Demand shifted strongly toward commercially produced cigarettes rather than pipe and chewing tobacco, as soldiers fighting on the front lines were provided with them.

Under current Canadian law, how much tobacco is an adult legally allowed to cultivate for personal use?

Canadian adults can legally grow up to $15\,\text{kg}$ of tobacco per year for personal consumption.

What was the prevalence rate of tobacco smoking in Canada in $2014$, and what is credited for this historic decline?

Smoking prevalence reached an all-time low of $15\%$ ($5.4\text{ million}$ smokers aged $12$ and older), a decline attributed to public education rather than criminalization.

What prohibition did the $1876$ Indian Act introduce regarding alcohol under Prime Minister John A Macdonald?

It consolidated legislation that banned intoxication and prohibited the sale and barter of alcohol to Indigenous peoples.

Why were beer and wine historically consumed across all meals and during long transatlantic voyages prior to industrialization?

Drinking water in European towns and on ships was frequently contaminated and unsafe; beer was regarded as nutritious, and both beer and wine were viewed as tonics and medicine to prevent illness.

What historic distilling facility was founded in $1832$ on Toronto Bay, and what did it achieve by $1869$?

William Gooderham founded a distillery that became Gooderham and Worts, growing to become the largest distiller in Canada by $1869$.

How did the Canadian Temperance Act (Scott Act) of $1878$ function?

It allowed municipalities and counties to hold local plebiscites; if one-quarter ($\frac{1}{4}$) of electors voted in favour, the retail sale and transport of alcohol became illegal, except for medical, religious, and industrial purposes.

How did middle- and upper-class reformers in the Canadian Women's Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) frame taverns and public drinking in the late 19th century?

They depicted taverns as 'anti-home' social spaces that undermined the workplace discipline demanded by early industrial capitalism, while viewing women's public drinking as immoral and contrary to female virtue.

Which Canadian provinces enacted provincial prohibition laws ('went dry') in the year $1916$?

Manitoba, Nova Scotia, Alberta, and Ontario.

What were the parameters and duration of Canada's federal alcohol restriction instituted during World War I?

In effect for $21\text{ months}$ (March $1918$ to the end of $1919$), it prohibited retail alcohol businesses and public drinking establishments (bars, taverns, hotels, clubs), while still permitting private consumption and sales for medical, mechanical, scientific, and sacramental purposes.

How is constitutional jurisdiction over alcohol divided between the federal and provincial governments in Canada?

Provinces regulate the retail sale and public consumption of alcohol, whereas the federal government regulates its manufacture, production, and international/interprovincial trade.

How did Canadian businessman Sam Bronfman build his international liquor empire?

He engaged in the liquor trade during World War I and merged his Montreal distillery with Seagram and Sons in Waterloo in $1928$, positioning Seagram to become the world's most successful whiskey exporter once U.S. prohibition ended in $1933$.

When did Prince Edward Island repeal provincial prohibition, and when did it finally permit beer parlours to open?

PEI maintained prohibition until $1948$ and did not allow beer parlours to open until $1964$.

What architectural and retail regulations were placed on post-prohibition alcohol sales prior to the early 1970s?

Government liquor stores were forbidden from openly displaying products to customers, and drinking establishments such as pubs were legally required to operate inside hotels.

What public health and safety crises were caused by unregulated, bootleg alcohol production during prohibition?

Illicit stills produced toxic alcohol contaminated with dangerous substances, resulting in widespread outbreaks of temporary and permanent paralysis, blindness, and death (such as those documented by The Globe in $1926$).