Poor women who drank tea were viewed as irresponsible as whisky drinkers in early 19th-century Ireland! Critics at the time declared that the practice of tea drinking was contributing to the stifling of Ireland’s economic growth, and was clearly presented as reckless and uncontrollable.
Women who drank tea wasted their time and money; it was said, drawing them away from their duty to care for their husbands and home. It was felt this traditionally female responsibility was vital in order to progress with the national economy!
There was also a myth of tea having drug-like qualities, because it was still a mysterious substance from China. People thought that tea became addictive over time. Moreover, tea was not as cheap as it was today, and was considered an irresponsible luxury for poor women to indulge in.