2. c. 40) which was enacted in order to reduce the consumption of gin and other distilled spirits, a popular pastime[2] that was regarded as one of the primary causes of crime in London.

[4] First imported from the Netherlands in the 1690s, gin began to rival beer as the most popular drink in the Kingdom of England.

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.

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.