Artikel

De alcoholwet Vandervelde in historisch en ideologisch perspectief

---

Abstract

The Vandervelde law from a historical and ideological perspective — In 1898 the newly elected member of parliament Emile Vandervelde started his campaign against alcoholism with a pamphlet entitled „The Workers’ Party and Alcohol”. In Vandervelde’s opinion alcoholism had developed into something that perpetuated the social misery of the working classes and immobilized social and economic relations. Drawing upon various scientific studies Vandervelde tried to argue against the prejudices which prevailed among the working classes. The anti-alcoholic movement should be set clearly within the context of the struggle for political and social emancipation of the working class at the beginning of the twentieth century. It prepared the ground for future legislation, which was only to be adopted on November 15th, 1918 however. Before this date World War I had caused a natural shortage of alcohol. The decree adopted on November 15th, 1918 came three days after Emile Vandervelde had taken office as minister of justice. It’s legal provisions were such that they rendered the consumption of gin, which had been widespread before the war, impossible. However, Vandervelde was forced to moderate, although unwillingly, the provisions of the decree, which were thought by many to be too radical. The considerations that led to these concessions were clearly of a purely materialistic order. First, there was the constant pressure of all those who were affected by the decree in their material interests and succeeded in securing support from the liberal and catholic parties. On the other hand, there was the classical argument that the state was being deprived of a considerable source of revenue. As is often the case, material considerations took precedence over moral ones. The decree was replaced by the act of August 29th, 1919, which was to make history as the Vandervelde act. Even after the concessions made by Vandervelde, opposition to the act continued unabated. One of the criticisms that carried most weight was that alcohol prohibition had led to a shift in favour of the use of other drugs. However, researches undertaken by Dr. Vervaeck, amongst others, established that the increase in drug taking was rather a direct consequence of World War I. The short-term effects of the Vandervelde act were, without qualification, positive. Not only was there a marked decrease in alcohol consumption with all the social benefits this entailed, but the number of crimes committed under the influence of alcohol intoxication diminished sharply and so did the number of alcoholics who had to receive treatment in psychiatric hospitals. Even if the Vandervelde act, like any other act, suffered from certain flows and although it cannot be denied that there was growing lenience as to its enforcement, there is sufficient evidence that it brought about fundamental changes in the attitudes of the working classes in Belgium in the 1920s.

How to Cite:

De Ruyver, B., (1982) “De alcoholwet Vandervelde in historisch en ideologisch perspectief”, Tijdschrift voor Sociale Wetenschappen 27(4), 342–369. doi: https://doi.org/10.21825/tvsw.94831