&gt; Second, alcohol consumption declined dramatically during Prohibition. Cirrhosis death rates for men were 29.5 per 100,000 in 1911 and 10.7 in 1929. Admissions to state mental hospitals for alcoholic psychosis declined from 10.1 per 100,000 in 1919 to 4.7 in 1928.<p>From <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.slate.com&#x2F;articles&#x2F;health_and_science&#x2F;medical_examiner&#x2F;2010&#x2F;02&#x2F;the_chemists_war.html" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.slate.com&#x2F;articles&#x2F;health_and_science&#x2F;medical_exa...</a>:<p>&gt; In 1926, in New York City, 1,200 were sickened by poisonous alcohol; 400 died. The following year, deaths climbed to 700<p>The poisonous alcohol was a direct result of prohibition. So I think focusing on just cirrhosis deaths paints an unfair picture of the actual health effects.