# Did prohibition officials poison drinkers?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-prohibition-officials-poison-drinkers/1020378>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [July 2, 2025, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-prohibition-officials-poison-drinkers/1020378 "2025-07-02T00:20:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
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**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\
**Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-prohibition-officials-poison-drinkers/1020378/31 "2025-07-16T22:42:56Z")

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> [@puzzlegal](#):
>
> Well, my understanding is that moonshine often does. But i agree, that’s not what makes moonshine harsh.

Moonshine itself can be poisonous, depending on the distilling process.

> **[Still Cookin'](https://washingtoncitypaper.com/article/283493/still-cookin/)**
>
> Silent and stealthy, the men in camouflage trudge through the Virginia woods. In a clearing ahead, some wild turkeys sprint for cover, darting helter-skelter and screeching insanely. The men pay no heed to the fleeing birds, because they’re not the...

> [T]he stills don’t stay clean after the first run. Agents have found everything from animal carcasses to beehives in the sour mash; the stillhands simply cook it all together. Worse, much of the black-pot whiskey is already dangerous stuff, high in lead content and often distilled through unflushed car radiators.

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