The fall of communism in Eastern Europe resulted in dramatic gains in civil rights and liberties. But with the flood of new freedoms, a few evils have slipped in as well. The legalization of absinthe, a toxic liqueur fashionable in Europe at the turn of the 19th century, may well be one of the more insidious evils of recent times.
The Wall Street Journal reported that Czech distiller Radomill Hill began producing absinthe and selling it in bars in Prague in 1990. Czech officials were wary of restricting personal liberties in a way reminiscent of the old communist regime. Consequently, they didn’t block the return of absinthe.
