This House would ban alcohol (Prodigee supports)
According to the WHO, in 2004 there were approximately 2.25 million premature deaths worldwide linked to alcohol. Alcohol is responsible for 4.5% of the global disease burden, even after the protective effects of low and moderate alcohol consumption had been considered. Furthermore, binge drinking (excessive alcohol consumption) is becoming an increasing problem in most countries.
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 marked contrast to the legal situation with regard to other mind-altering (or ‘psycho-active’) drugs such as cannabis, cocaine, ecstasy, acid, and heroin. The first question this offers is whether alcohol and other drugs should be treated the same? How do you make a difference? Further on the question is also, what is an effective policy regarding alcohol consumption. Is it higher prices or the ultimate “ban” approach?
Currently a few Islamic countries have the ban imposed, these are Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Iran and the Gaza. In 2002 also the “liberal Arabic country” Bahrain has started a debate about banning alcohol.
In the past, 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 to ban alcohol and equalize it with other drugs.
Some countries use a total ban on all types of alcohol; this also includes beer, wine as well as stronger liquor. Other countries (due to tourism and investment) have a special license for foreigners as the state connects the ban mainly to their Islamic heritage.
Is it time to try to solve the alcohol problem through more restrictions and campaigns or is it time for a ban policy?
Ban
Side Score: 4
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Allow
Side Score: 3
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As someone living in an Islamic country, I think alcohol should be allowed. Banning it will simply drive it underground and take away the ability of the government to control it. Here in Malaysia, we have alcohol available. Being originally from Australia, where we have one of the highest rates of alcoholism and alcohol-related violence, I was surprised to see how alcohol was even more readily available in Malaysia; but how low the rate of alcoholism is. Alcohol should be available; but heavily taxed and advertising for alcohol strictly banned. Side: Allow
Ha! Good point, the "social drug" that causes "anti-social" behaviour. I don't know about the price of alcohol in the UK; but in Australia it is cheaper to buy a carton of a dozen bottles of good quality red wine than it is the buy a dozen 1 liter bottles of water! We get pissed all the time because it saves money! Yet, here in Malaysia, alcohol is very expensive; but more readily available. There are less problems with alcohol related violence. But, I can't say that there is no alcohol-related violence. There's a lot of moonshine going around in the Tamil Indian community here and the rates of alcohol-related violence (esp. domestic abuse) is very high in that community. I guess I don't know what the answer is. Banning it altogether seems a bit harsh. But having liberal alcohol laws doesn't work either. And, FYI, there are Alcoholic Anonymous groups in Saudi Arabia. So even when banned, there's still an underground black market of alcohol. Side: Ban
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