Question Of The Week

Alcohol - Should the worlds favorite drug be more restricted or even banned?

In almost all countries in the world, adults are allowed to buy and consume alcohol with very little restriction (although there are often laws about the exact hours that bars and shops are allowed to sell alcohol, and laws against drinking and driving).

This is in contrast to the legal situation with regard to other mind-altering (or ‘psycho-active’) drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, acid, and heroin etc.

The experience of ‘Prohibition’ in the USA in the 1920s and 1930s, when there was a huge black market in alcohol run by a powerful criminal underworld, makes most people very wary of trying that solution again.

In this debate the you can argue either for tighter restrictions or for complete prohibition. This is one subject that boils down to a debate about what balance should be struck between the need to protect society on the one hand and the need to preserve individual liberties on the other.

This is a not a difficult one for me. I have not touched an alcoholic drink now for almost a year, and my life has change dramatically. I am a much calmer person, I feel and look healthier and I feel much more positive about the direction my life is taking.

Alcohol is just as addictive as any drug, it is also just as destructive. Those that are addicted to alcohol often find themselves loosing their marriages, families, jobs and lives. Any drug that is this addictive should be treated like any other, and be made illegal. These are my reasons why;

Violent crimes, including child abuse, sexual assault, domestic violence and even murder are predominantly fuelled by alcohol.

Despite advertising campaigns, there are still thousands and thousands of drunk drivers on our roads today causing death and destruction.

Health systems are struggling to cope with the amount of admissions for drunken related injuries in our A&E departments, as well as the increase in liver disease.

Have your say.

What do you think about this topic?

Feel free to put forward your views and opinions.

Do you think Alcohol should have more restrictions or be banned?