Iceland maintained a peculiar, near-75-year partial prohibition on beer that lasted from 1915 until March 1, 1989. While a national referendum initially banned all alcoholic beverages, imported wines and spirits were progressively re-legalized over subsequent decades due to foreign trade pressures. However, strong beer containing more than 2.25 percent alcohol remained strictly illegal until 1989 out of fear that it would tempt young people into heavy drinking.