Fight Against Alcohol

A Sobriety Evening held in Viekšniai Secondary School, 1st half of the 20th century. Courtesy of the Lithuanian Museum of the History of Education

“People drink when they greet, they drink when they bid farewell. They drink when they are hungry, to satisfy their appetite; they drink when it's cold, to warm up; they drink when it's hot, to cool down. They drink when they're sleepy, to gain alertness; when sleep eludes them, they drink to fall asleep. They drink out of sorrow, they drink out of joy. They drink at baptisms, they drink at funerals. In short, they drink, and they keep drinking."

Don't be alarmed; this isn't about us. This describes the drinking habits of Lithuanian residents in 1923.

During the interwar period in Lithuania, temperance advocates strongly fought against alcohol consumption. They formed temperance societies, published educational materials about the harm of alcohol, organized sports events and exhibitions, and held public lectures. Both the state and the Church joined the fight against alcohol.

In the press, alcohol was often sarcastically referred to as the "king of alcohol," and those who indulged in it were labeled as his servants. The proprietors of various drinking establishments, who were often Jewish businessmen, weren't particularly well-liked—sometimes they were accused of encouraging people to drink.