Would Prohibition work Today? (making alcohol illegal)

[Jaylock]

This was tried back in the 1920s in the greatest country on earth. With the world being so different today, do you think that the United States could enact another era of prohibition without there being dire consequences?

[Nengal]

Would never work and the government makes far too much money off the sale of and taxes on alcohol as well as permits to sell alcoholic beverages in bars and restaurants. Here in North Carolina, only the government is allowed to sell liquor by the bottle (ABC stores). Grocery stores, gas stations, ect... can only sell beer, wine, and hard cider products.

Also, there's far too many jobs dependent on alcohol. Brewers, transportation, farmers, bars, ect... Banning alcohol would result in a very large spike in unemployment and probably some form of economic instability/crash.

[Talokami]

Pfft, in my opinion it barely worked then!

If an individual wants something badly enough, they will find ways to obtain it.

[Neurodilation]

Not no but hell no.

[Rukentuts]

This was tried back in the 1920s in the greatest country on earth. With the world being so different today, do you think that the United States could enact another era of prohibition without there being dire consequences?

That's a negative Ghostrider.

[Dakia]

Pfft, in my opinion it barely worked then!

If an individual wants something badly enough, they will find ways to obtain it.

Yeah, Prohibition was largely a failure. That was a much larger world back then as well, figuratively speaking. It would never work today in western civilization.

[Julian Rayne]

There's still prohibition today and it's still a failure. It's called the 'War on Drugs'.

[N-7]

I don't know what will happen here in UK if a prohibition is to be issued, we have many people whom lives depend on it (maybe riots?). I personally do not drink and therefore I don't care.

[asb]

...in the greatest country on earth...

Are you intentionally fishing for trolls?

On topic, no. People basically do what they want so long as they can justify it. That's how it worked with prohibition in the 20s, and that's how it works with the illegal substances of today. Sure, it'll be much less widespread, but it'll still happen. Furthermore I don't see who would try to take away Americans' beer. He certainly wouldn't be a very popular fellow.

[mindbomb]

Look at the billions of dollars spent on the Drug War to this date and the minuscule affect it has had. Should be any campaigns reform project. But no, lets stick to the topics that invoke a little more anger and talk about them to death.

Many books and topics on the subject of 1920s prohibition. Hell, just watching the fictional Boardwalk Empire on HBO should pretty much squash it's viability.

[Reeve]

No way. At least back in the 20s there was a greater deal of religiosity / moralizing going on in the country. Now with so much of the country being non-religious and more liberal, I think even fewer people would be willing to accept prohibition. Hell, a lot of us also want to legalize Marijuana too.

[Neazy]

It doesn't work with any drugs. Estimates show that the illegal drug trade is one of the top five most lucrative industries worldwide. Organized crime exists because certain drugs are illegal, yet high in demand. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies push drugs that are just as strong or even stronger than the illegal ones on to doctors and patients and get away with it. Few people realize that the oxycontin you get from your doctor is just essentially the same thing as heroin, yet one is illegal and one isn't.

IMO, legalize it all and tax it. That would eradicate a massive amount of crime and bring in tons of tax dollars for the government. Unfortunately, because drugs are illegal worldwide, legalizing all drugs would require a universal change in opinion, and I don't see that happening in my lifetime.

[Giants41]

No it wouldn't, and i hope it doesn't happen!

[mindbomb]

It doesn't work with any drugs. Estimates show that the illegal drug trade is one of the top five most lucrative industries worldwide. Organized crime exists because certain drugs are illegal, yet high in demand. Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies push drugs that are just as strong or even stronger than the illegal ones on to doctors and patients and get away with it. Few people realize that the oxycontin you get from your doctor is just essentially the same thing as heroin, yet one is illegal and one isn't.

IMO, legalize it all and tax it. That would eradicate a massive amount of crime and bring in tons of tax dollars for the government. Unfortunately, because drugs are illegal worldwide, legalizing all drugs would require a universal change in opinion, and I don't see that happening in my lifetime.

I've linked this before. A good watch http://www.americandrugwar.com/ Some of it, I am not willing to do the research on. But the jail system, billions wasted, etc. pretty obvious and right under our noses.

[theredviola]

It would work as well as making anything illegal would... it would simply drive it underground to where criminals would making a killing off of it and turn perfectly law abiding citizens into criminals.

[Tikaru]

We're an alcohol-obsessed nation, there's no way it could happen.

[Verain]

We are still dealing with the organized crime spawned by prohibition in the 20s. Drug prohibition doesn't work now, and also causes plenty of murders and destroys economic values of entire regions.

No, alcohol prohibition would not work. It would work less than the debacle in the 20th century.

[Shadowmelded]

There's still prohibition today and it's still a failure. It's called the 'War on Drugs'.

This was basically going to be my post lol.

Prohibition doesn't work, as long as there is demand for something, there will be people willing to supply. Bringing it out of the black market where there is no transparency and no regulations to prevent dangerous stuff from falling into the wrong hands (minors, people at risk of mental illness etc....) and regulating it, adding a nominal tax to cover the expenses (which could result in more revenue to spend on drug awareness, which the Washington legalisation bill included) is really the best option as we've seen from experience.

[Dezerte]

Not the mention the amount of home brewed alcohol that would increase, and in turn increase fatality rate.

[Myci]

not even alittle. It brought us organized crime the first time.
Watch how much that would profit if they did, considering they have had years of practice now.