Gin Act 1751
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (July 2008) |
| Dates | |
|---|---|
| Royal assent | 25 June 1751 |
| Other legislation | |
| Amended by | Sale of Spirits Act 1862 |
| Repealed by | Administration of Justice Act 1965, s. 34 and schedule 2. |
Status: Repealed | |
The Sale of Spirits Act 1750 (commonly known as the Gin Act 1751) was an
History
First imported from the
Politicians and religious leaders argued that gin drinking encouraged laziness and criminal behaviour. Parliament passed the Gin Act 1729 which increased the retail tax to 5 shillings per gallon. With the Gin Act 1736 the government imposed a high license fee for gin retailers and a 20 shillings retail tax per gallon. These actions were unpopular with the working-classes and resulted in riots in London in 1743. The license fee and tax were lowered significantly within a few years.
The Act
The Sale of Spirits Act 1750 prohibited gin distillers from selling to unlicensed merchants, restricted retail licenses to substantial property holders and charged high fees to those merchants eligible for retail licenses. To offer the masses another invigorating (and non-alcoholic) beverage the import of tea was also encouraged. Also, men were encouraged to drink beer.[citation needed]
See also
References
- short title was authorised by the Short Titles Act 1896, section 1 and the first schedule. Due to the repeal of those provisions it is now authorised by section 19(2) of the Interpretation Act 1978.
- ^ "History of Alcohol" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 August 2013. Retrieved 11 May 2015.
- ^ Gin Act – Britannica Online Encyclopedia
- ^ BBC - h2g2 - The History of Gin (and Tonic) - A568677
Further reading
- .
- Warner, Jessica; Her, Minghao; Gmel, Gerhard; Rehm, Jürgen (2001). "Can Legislation Prevent Debauchery? Mother Gin and Public Health in 18th-Century England". American Journal of Public Health. 91: 375–84. PMID 11236401.
