Do you think the USA should try Prohibition of Alcohol again?
 

Do you think the USA should try Prohibition of Alcohol again?
Don't think it will ever happen but makes for an interesting discussion. My guess on the upside there would be less alcohol available. Fewer Dui's and social problems caused by liquor. Downside would be I read about 5 million people in the USA work in the Alcohol industry so a lot of people would be put out of work. Also your just giving criminals another great way to make money by letting them take over the liquor trade. I also think once you give the government the power to outlaw things where does it end? The government going to start regulating how many Big macs you can have? No shortage of bad habits out there they could regulate once you give them the power. So whats everyone's thoughts?

Prohibition didn't work, Jay.

There was as much, if not more, alcohol available - some of it distilled and brewed dangerously.

The best regulatory authority is ourselves :)

D

No. Prohibition didn't work the first time and it wouldn't work now, IMO. Just puts it in the hands of criminals. Alcohol is so easy to home-brew these days anyway. Everybody and his brother knows how to brew or distill, it seems like. It's on the interwebz!!

Have you seen that three part PBS documentary on Netflix - "Ken Burns: Prohibition"? It's really good.

Cocaine, heroin, meth, LSD and a litany of other drugs are already illegal, but they are widely and reality available to just about anyone who wants them. Prohibition would simply make it illegal, but not stop people from obtaining and drinking it.

Prohibition of alcohol didn't (and wouldn't) work for the same reasons it isn't working for other drugs that are still "prohibited" now. Not to change the subject, but the obvious question to me is: would overturning prohibition of, at least, some of those other drugs lessen or worsen the problems associated with them? At any rate, human nature dictates that making something illegal often only makes it all the more attractive.

I saw this and I agree, it was very good!

No. most people seem to be able to drink responsible.

The last thing I'd want to see is the government attempt to regulate the sale of alcohol.

It would be a disaster just like "The War on Drugs".

I'm sure if alcohol were discovered today, it would never be permitted to be sold freely like it is now, and would probably be banned as dangerous to society with no significant medical benefits. But since it's been known worldwide for thousands of years, and since the U.S. already tried and failed to ban it almost a hundred years ago, we're all stuck with it. ;)

Interesting. You might be quite right. It probably would be banned if discovered today.

Although consumption of alcohol fell at the beginning of Prohibition, it subsequently increased. Alcohol became more dangerous to consume; crime increased and became “organized”; the court and prison systems were stretched to the breaking point; and corruption of public officials was rampant. No measurable gains were made in productivity or reduced absenteeism. Prohibition removed a significant source of tax revenue and greatly increased government spending. It led many drinkers to switch to opium, marijuana, patent medicines, cocaine, and other dangerous substances that they would have been unlikely to encounter in the absence of Prohibition.
There were many,many deaths and injuries from bathtub gin,too.

prohibition made gangsters well liked. how else would people get alcohol?

I think we have enough problems with crime and our legal system without prohibition.

Nope.

-allan

The war on drugs these past 40 years has been a complete failure, only increasing the rate of incarceration here in the USA tenfold. Just imagine if those resources were spent on treatment. Revisiting prohibition on alcohol would be plain stupid. Funny how our government says you can't legislate morality when it come to corruption, yet legislates all the laws on intoxicant use base d on morality.

Very well thought out post. I am kind of surprised on a sober recovery site I have not gotten any responses in favor of prohibition. Thought there may be some people in favor but all the posts are opposed so far. Interesting.

It didn't work then and it wouldn't work now. It would still be available to those who wanted it.

Notwithstanding the prohibition consideration, many of us (maybe not all) don't vilify alcohol itself. Some might argue it's a poisonous substance when ingested and serves no good purpose, but many don't see alcohol, the substance, as the problem. I personally have no problem with others drinking responsibly. I simply cannot drink responsibly, and so I must not drink.

As you mentioned in your reply on your other thread, there are a lot of smart people here. And since most of us are addicts, we understand full well that no law would stop us from getting our fix when we were I'm the throes of active drinking.