Kateryna
March 7, 2023
Alcoholism is becoming a serious problem in many countries. However, there is contention over whether alcohol should be prohibited as a drug and made illegal. I would partly agree it should be limited, whereas total ban on alcohol may be harmful to society as this will result in the illegal production of alcohol and lead to the poisoning of a great number of people.

On the one hand, alcohol is related to a large number of traffic accidents when people drunk driving. Under alcohol, people are less focused and are not able to follow the road. For instance, it was reported more than 2000 cases of death between 2020 and 2021 were caused by operating a vehicle while over the prescribed alcohol limit. Thus, laws forbidding drunk driving are necessary as they can significantly reduce traffic crashes. Furthermore, drinking alcohol may result in addiction and changes in an individual’s behaviour. Under the influence of alcohol, someone might be contributing to violence, especially if they may end up hurting a vulnerable person who is close to them. As a result, some families and relationships would be broken up. Hence, making alcohol illegal can lead to a decrease in traffic and domestic casualties and may improve health and reduce both mental and physical issues.

On the other hand, prohibiting alcohol can lead to an increase in illicit liquor production. It is well-known fact that restriction of the supply of alcohol on the market will hardly solve the main issue; vice versa it may cause the opposite effect (as shown by the history of the USA with their “Dry law”). This is because people cannot stop drinking alcohol right away, and many unlicensed factories will produce as much alcohol as possible and establish a network of illegal distribution among the population. Therefore, it will result in a rising number of people suffering from serious health problems due to the poor quality of alcohol. Hence, banning alcohol may lead to more serious problems for people in the long-term perspective compared with limiting consumption at the legislative level.

In conclusion, while it is true that making alcohol illegal can be beneficial for society, I would argue that it might lead to an increase in the production of illicit liquor and cannot resolve the issue of alcohol overconsumption.