This picture is an example of the many signs, posted in Belgian pubs in the first half of the 20th century. It says on top: “Drunkenness causes misery and an early death”, and on the bottom: “Fellow citizens of all walks of life, stay away from hard liquor!”
Beer was and is considered food in Belgium, but hard liquor was and is considered dangerous. When the socialists came into power in Belgium at the turn of the 19th century, one of the first measures they took was restricting the sale of hard liquor. This was generally considered evil for the working man, and a cause of a lot of misery in their families. These restricting laws were only withdrawn in the 1980’s! After that we saw a new increase in the consumption of hard liquor in Belgium.

The poster, printed here, can be seen at the Sincfala museum in Knokke-Heist (Belgium).
Newsletter March, 2001