“One of the main reasons that the prohibition was unsuccessful was that the advent of the Great Depression (1929-1939) caused a change in American opinion on Prohibition. Economic issues crippled the country, and it just didn’t make sense to those suffering that the country couldn’t profit from the legal taxation of alcohol. After all, the gangsters and bootleggers certainly seemed to benefit. ” (Source: http://history. howstuffworks. com/american-history/prohibition4. htm) The prohibition was not successful and it was very unlikely that another western government would try to ban alcohol.
Note that I have used the word western because in the Gulf States like Saudi Arabia the prohibition is succesfull due to religious beliefs. Common misconceptions “Alcohol gives you energy” This statement is false. Alcohol is a depressant and can actually make you sleepy. It slows down your reaction time. “You should worry about drugs not alcohol” Both drugs are serious problem among teens. Alcohol kills young people just like cocaine, heroin and other serious illegal drugs. Also according to recent studies, nearly one half (47%) of persons who began drinking before the age 14 were alcohol dependent at some point in their lifetime.
“Beer before liquor, never been sicker – liquor before beer, you’re in the clear” This is an old urban legend used to explain why people get sick when they drink – but it’s just not true. Your blood alcohol content (also known as BAC, the percentage of alcohol in your blood) is what determines how drunk you are. It doesn’t matter what type of alcohol you chose to consume – a drink is a drink, and too much of any combination can make you sick. (Source: http://checkyourself. com/AlcoholMyths. aspx) Again as you can see despite scientific research these common misconceptions have still managed to penetrate into society.
Although many people know that these misconceptions are not true it will be hard to come across someone who doesn’t know at least one misconception. Conclusion The research I have presented before you have shown the many dangers of alcohol. Alcohol is a drug and is more dangerous than most class A, B, and C drugs however prohibition of alcohol has failed due to many historical, social and religious causes. After all, it is hard to break a habit that’s almost 8,000 years old. However some people might disagree with my conclusion as the government is trying to stop alcohol related accidents with the new drink responsible scheme.
But do they make a difference? The history and religion of the modern world has influenced how alcohol is viewed as however there are so many misconceptions that kids are surrounded by growing up it is hard to get rid of it when they are older. Note that most people think that alcohol in moderation is safe yet Britain is the only European country in which it is considered normal to go out and have alcohol without a meal. Even today’s so called secular society Christianity is still predominant this is evident in the fact that national holidays are still names after Christian ceremonies.
In Christianity and Judaism the consumption of alcohol is not forbidden in fact it is used in many religious ceremonies. Although religion is not solely to blame, the fact is that it does encourage the use of alcohol. I believe that alcohol, due to its social significance, cannot be prohibited. However, I think that the government should educate young children (from year 5 and upwards) about the dangers of alcohol. Many young people company that although they are taught about the dangers of drugs, they do not even know the amount of units of alcohol that you should drink in one day.
With regards to adults, I believe that information about alcohol units should be given more clearly. “Most adults are aware that one unit is considered to be 8g of alcohol, or equivalent to: However, most adults forget to take into account of the size of glasses or the varying alcohol content of different beers, wine etc. and I believe that this information should be advertised. By taking these measures we are likely to see a decrease in the number of alcohol related deaths, illnesses and anti-social behaviour.
By teaching children from a young age the dangers of alcohol and how it should be consumed in moderation, the binge drinking trend in young people can be curbed. Similarly, by presenting adults with advertisements on units, people are less likely to become accidentally intoxicated.
Bibliography Websites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_alcoholic_beverages(12 aprill 2011) The information from this website may not be completely reliable as it is the website of a campaign group who want to ban all drugs. This means that they are more likely to tamper with the information in order to make their campaign seem justified.