Ever read the Irish Liquor Lawyer’s blog? It’s regularly interesting, especially to sorts like me who know little about being a lawyer. (Respecting my long-held personal aim to avoid needing lawyers has left me underinformed about their work.) In a May 22 post titled, “Barbarians are at the gate,” the writer mentions what many of us have read: that beverage alcohol may soon face persecution similar to that suffered by the tobacco industry decades ago.

Like the writer, I’ve read a lot lately about Neo-Prohibitionists who, along with the World Health Organization (WHO), claim that no amount of alcohol is safe or acceptable for a healthful lifestyle. Part of me wants to ignore such nonsense, but the writer, who’s an attorney, makes clear that certain lawsuits underway could open doors to legal action that would leave alcohol producers vulnerable to crippling litigation similar to that endured by tobacco producers.