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Is the prohibition of alcohol good?

Updated: 8/16/2019
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13y ago

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Is prohibiting alcohol good? Didn't we already answer that one? Back in the day, a group of folks loudly decried the deleterious effects of alcohol on the citizenry of the United States and got the 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution passed. This was in 1919, and the 18th Amendment was the prohibition on alcohol. The outlawing of alcohol immediately created a black market for the stuff. It was instantaneous. Why wouldn't it be? And it could be fairly argued that though the law was passed by majority vote of Congress, it really didn't represent the majority opinion of the People of the United States. It's obvious where this is going, isn't it. There are a lot of "laws" in place today that do not represent the majority view on a given issue. So many times over so long a period, the Citizens of the United States watch in near helplessness as the loud minority leverages its "righteousness" and browbeats, coerces, threatens, bribes or scandalizes those who vote in Congress into following their suggestions to write and enact law that suits the will of that minority. We live in the shadow of it, and always have. In the case of the 18th Amendment, after all the smoke cleared and the full effect of the ban wore on the People for a few years, the 21st Amendment to the United States Constitution was passed abolishing the 18th. That was in 1933.

Now this. Don't be fooled. Alcohol can be dangerous. It has ruined more lives than probably any other "controlled substance" in history. And the thing about alcohol is that it ruins the lives of those around the person doing the "excessive" drinking and not just that individual. What's the solution? It isn't prohibition. Education and recovery programs are a cheaper and better alternative. The only beneficiaries from prohibition (by and large) are those who traffic in banned stuff (less-than-honest citizens and criminals) and those who fight the traffickers (government). As for cutting off the supply to those who use? They will always find a source. Always. Now, is there anything else that is "prohibited" that would be cheaper (more cost effective) to legalize, regulate and,... wait for it,... tax for the profit of government (and the people) than to keep on the list of prohibited (and thereby black market vended and, ultimately, organized-crime-controlled) substances?

As with many other foodstuffs, alcohol has its good and bad sides. As always, moderation is the key - a small or modest amount of many types of alcohol has been shown to be beneficial to one's health, improving both longevity and quality of life. It also serves a useful social function, in that it plays a key part in most cultures' social activity.

However, the dark side of alcohol is that it can be easy to abuse, and that there is substantial scientific evidence to purport a genetic component to Alcoholism (severe abuse of alcohol). Alcohol abuse causes significant societal and individual harm, on a scale larger than practically any other single cause.

The question here becomes: should we (as a society) forgo the beneficial aspects of alcohol because of the society harm it can cause? If you answer Yes to that question, you favor Prohibition.

Unfortunately for prohibitionists, they have a significant minority opinion, not just now, but throughout history. At no time in any recorded society has the majority actually favored outlawing consumption of alcohol (as noted above, Prohibition in the US was almost exclusively a by-product of the Women's Sufferage movement, and unduly benefited from the political power of that movement, and could not stand on its own popularity).

Without genuine popular support, prohibition of any substance will fail. And, frankly, the harm such an unpopular prohibition will cause a society (in terms of unregulated use, criminal activity, and loss of individual liberty) will far outweigh any potential good such a prohibition may have purported to give.

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Which of the amendments passed for progressive progressive reform was later repealed?

Prohibition of alcohol.


What did the wctu accomplish?

They had the eighteenth amendment passed, which was the prohibition of alcohol. The prohibition was a ban of sale and consumption of alcohol.


What did prohibition deal with?

prohibition dealt with the abolition of alcohol in America


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prohibition focus was stopping the legality of alcohol consumption.


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The outlawing of alcohol in the US was called the Prohibition.


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Which of the amendments passed progressive reform was later repealed?

Prohibition of alcohol.


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1920-1933


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