As societies grew, alcohol became available to all segments of society. The 19th century’s’ change in attitude meant that alcohol came to be seen as a social problem. This led many areas of the world to create laws making alcohol illegal.
In 1920 the US passed a law forbidding the manufacture, import or export or sale of alcohol; however this ban was cancelled in 1933.
Today, alcohol is a major industry which gains many millions of pounds in profits and contributing to the US economy (see pie chart below):
In today’s society the moderate consumption of alcohol is considered normal and is widespread throughout the world, a proof of this is how ‘a pint at the pub’ is considered to be an integral part of British life. Many social taboos that once were in place to view drunken behaviour as uncouth and ‘common’, have either vanished or are no longer supported by the majority view.
A law encouraging the sale of alcohol and the media portrayal of alcohol consumption as ‘normal’ have played major roles in why today’s society regard alcohol as an almost essential part of social life.
Arguments For Prohibiting Alcohol
Independent research into the health effects of alcohol has been carried out over many years and across many different countries. The results of these different research projects are similar and below I have listed the short term and long term effects of alcohol that are unanimously accepted by the scientific community.
Relatively low doses of alcohol relax the user; make them more talkative and animated. Alcohol does this by increasing the metabolism in areas of the brain associated with movement e.g. the nigrostriatal pathway and this means that the rewards system in the brain becomes more active which makes people act in an unusually loud and cheerful manner.
Excessively large doses of alcohol lead to acute alcohol intoxication and this has many short and long term health effects. One of the most classic symptoms of alcohol intoxication is appendicular ataxia and this results in the uncoordinated movements of the limbs. Ataxia is why a drunken person is clumsy, will sway back and forth and often fall over. Its cause is not yet known but is probably due to alcohols effect on the cerebellum (the region of the brain that is responsible for motor control).
Further studies on the subject have shown that alcohol beverages may have provocative effect on the coronary artery disease and stroke. These conclusions are drawn from death rates when comparing risks for coronary artery disease in people consuming small to moderate amounts of alcohol and those who don’t drink at all.
Drinkers experience a mild euphoria and loss of inhibition as alcohol impairs region of the brain controlling behaviour, judgement, memory, concentration and coordination as well as extreme mood swings and emotional outbursts. All of the above lead to social problems as drinkers have impaired judgements and may therefore agree to take part in a dangerous activity which they would not choose if they were sober. Overuse of alcohol also leads to aggressive behaviour and is the underlying cause of most anti-social behaviour.
However the main problem with alcohol is that it is very addictive and it is estimated that one in 13 people in the UK are dependent on alcohol. Several million drink excessively, and are putting their health at serious risk.
Most of these arguments are based on scientific fact yet personal theories and opinions surrounding this topic may have been added by the provider to justify there points.
Graph above is from:
The graph above uses the new ranking system for the classification of drugs and alcohol is the first half of the graph. As you can see, the independent experts whose input helped to shape this graph consider alcohol to be more dangerous than most class A and B and every class C drug.
The quote below shows a statistic which again displays how alcohol is more dangerous than drugs;
“One person a week in the UK dies from alcohol poisoning compared to 10 deaths in a year linked to ecstasy.”
There are many other statistics which display the negative health and social effects of alcohol. It is estimated that; the NHS spend £1.7 billion in treating alcohol related illnesses, 17 million working days are lost to hangovers or alcohol-related illnesses and overall Britain’s binge-drinking culture costs over £20 billion every year.
(Statistics from )
To conclude this argument, alcohol has many health effects both short term and long term. Alcohol abuse also has many negative social and economic impacts as well. Alcohol is perceived as being harmless however it is just as dangerous, and has many similar impacts on health as most drugs.
Arguments against prohibition of alcohol
The main reason that alcohol is different from other drugs is that alcohol, unlike any other drug, is socially entrenched. As I have mentioned in the “History of Alcohol” section of this report, alcohol is an integral part of social life and banning it would be completely impractical. By banning alcohol millions of law abiding citizens all over the world would be criminalised and this will create a huge black market for alcohol.
History has shown that the Prohibition of alcohol in America- “The Noble Experiment” was a complete failure. I will explore this issue later on in my “Why was the Prohibition of Alcohol in America unsuccessful?”
The long term effects of alcohol are harmful, however this can happen with any overdose of anything e.g. aspirin. When alcohol is drunk responsibly it can be beneficial to the body and it is up to the individual to drink responsibly. Independent research has shown that when consumed in moderation alcohol can;
- Reduce the risk of developing heart disease
- Reduce the risk of heart attacks
- Possibly reduce the risk of strokes
- Lower the risk of gallstones
- Possibly reduce the risk of developing diabetes
- Red wine contains antioxidants which help to reduce the build up of atherosclerosis
Banning alcohol would be considered as infringing people’s civil rights to an unacceptable degree. Also, due to the presence of alcohol in religious ceremonies such as the Christian Eucharist, Christians could go to the European Court of Human Rights and say that the ban infringes on their right to practise their religion.
A ban on alcohol would also destroy an industry which is worth £49.5 billion and which represents a 7% share of total consumer spending. Prohibiting alcohol would wreck havoc on the worldwide economy and, especially at a time like now where the economy is already quite fragile, this could mean that there is a risk of the world going back into a recession.
(Statistics from )
In 2008 the British government earned $9.5 billion from alcohol taxes. (source: ) This proves that governments raise a significant amount of money from taxes and duties payable on alcoholic drinks. “To ban alcohol would take away a major source of funding for public services. In addition, the effect of banning alcohol would call for additional policing on a huge scale, if the prohibition were to be enforced effectively. If would create a new class of illegal drug-users, traffickers, and dealers on an unprecedented scale.”
(Source: )
To conclude this argument, alcohol has health benefits if drunk in moderation and is up to individuals to drink responsibly. Banning alcohol, apart from being completely impractical, would also infringe upon peoples civil liberties as well as have a negative effect on the global economy.
As you are able to see that some arguments have a opinionated base and therefore is not 100% accurate.
Why was the Prohibition of Alcohol in America unsuccessful?
After the American Revolution, drinking was on the rise. To combat this, a number of societies were organized as part of a new temperance movement which attempted to dissuade people for becoming intoxicated. At the first, this organisation’s pushed moderation, but after several decades the movements focus changed to complete prohibition of alcohol consumption.
The 18th Amendment states “after one year from the ratification of this article the manufacture, sale, or transportation of intoxicating liquors within, the importation thereof into, or the exportation thereof from the United States and all territory subject to the jurisdiction thereof for beverage purposes is hereby prohibited”. The period of Prohibiton was from 1920-But it was clear to some that millions neither wanted this law nor would respect it. There was obviously was a huge market for what in the 1920’s.
“Alcohol became more dangerous to consume; crime increased and became "organized"; the court and prison systems were stretched to the breaking point; and corruption of public officials was rampant. No measurable gains were made in productivity or reduced absenteeism. Prohibition removed a significant source of tax revenue and greatly increased government spending. It led many drinkers to switch to opium, marijuana, patent medicines, cocaine, and other dangerous substances that they would have been unlikely to encounter in the absence of Prohibition.”
(Source: )
“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: )
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: )
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:
- half a pint of standard strength (3.5% AVB) beer, cider or lager
- a pub measure of spirit
- half a standard glass (175ml) of wine
- a pub measure of sherry, vermouth or liqueur”
(Source: )
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:
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.
14th april 2011
The information from Wikipedia is infamous for not always being accurate. This is why I checked that the information I included from Wikipedia against two other websites.
2 may 2011
2nd may 2011
2011-05-12
23rd may 2010
I believe that the information I have included from the BBC is very reliable because the BBC is known for its unbiased reporting.
23rd may 2010
This is an official government website and the information comes from the Office for National Statistics, therefore I know that the information is accurate and reliable.
23rd may 2010
23rd may 2010
23rd may 2010
23rd may 2010
23rd may 2010
The remaining websites are independent and therefore unregulated. Many of these websites are also debate forums so are more opinion orientated than fact orientated. For this reason I cannot be absolutely sure that the information from these websites is not completely reliable.
Books:
Cherrington, 1925, v. 1, p. 404 14th may 2010
I can be certain that this information is reliable because it comes from a student textbook and therefore the information is checked for accuracy.
Genesis 9:20 23rd may 2010
Although the quote is present in most versions of the Bible the Bible itself, having been written thousands of years after the event is described, cannot be seen as accurate or reliable.
