The number of alcoholics has risen steadily for the past 20 years, and so has the number of treatment centers. Therefore, to cut down on alcoholism we should eliminate the treatment centers.
A) Appeal to ignorance.
B) Equivocation.
C) Weak analogy.
D) False cause.
E) No fallacy.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

This is a case of false cause because the argument assumes that the increase in the number of treatment centers is the cause of the increase in alcoholism, without any evidence to support this causal relationship. In reality, there could be many other factors contributing to the rise in alcoholism such as economic conditions, social factors, etc. Therefore, eliminating treatment centers would not necessarily lead to a reduction in alcoholism.

The Number of Alcoholics Has Risen Steadily for the Past