Religious groups e.g. The Women’s Christian Temperance organisation believed drink was a source of evil.

Some of the negative affects of alcohol argued by the dries were:

Crime
Poverty
Immoral Behaviour
Inefficiency at work

Alcohol was said to be hindering the war effort by:

Inefficiency in the workplace
Barley should be used for bread not alcohol
Many brewers were German. It was said to be helping the enemy.