There is no doubt that alcohol consumption leads to undesired behavior in the people who seek to find emotional and social release in their strenuous lives. Many individuals consume alcohol and believe that there are no long term effects of the substance on their bodies and on the lives of the people in their lives. But, alcohol use is dangerous to the users as the excessive use of alcohol causes people to become violent, careless and suicidal. A number of individuals consume alcohol because they believe that alcohol is a means of entertainment or relaxation. However, the consumption of alcohol leads to a life of alcoholism which damages the physical and psychological structure of the body. Levine & Reinarman (2004) notes that “alcohol control reduces substantially if not eliminate the illegal drug business and most of the crime, violence, and corruption associated with it,” (Levine & Reinarman, n.p).Therefore, alcohol should be illegal as it is responsible for many serious offences.
Arguably, alcohol is one of the worst drugs in the society, but it is the one of the easiest to acquire. Since the early 1900s, alcohol use has been a contentious problem in the history of the United States. Many people saw alcohol as an evil scourge in the society, yet its use is legal for those individuals over the age of consent. Of course, the legality of alcohol also makes it available to young people under the age of alcohol. The fact that alcohol is legal makes it available in the homes and schools. Under-aged drinkers find their parents with the alcohol in their homes and they consume the alcohol which leads to an addiction in the near future. The irresponsible and careless actions of the parents lead to the ultimate arguments that alcohol should be banned because of its ease of action and consumption. The fact is that too many immature individuals consume alcohol and they do not look at the consequences of alcohol consumption. When one abused alcohol, “they could get in a car and kill others, damage property, be sexually assaulted, or even just make a complete ass of themselves,” (Should We Ban Alcohol, n.p). Clearly, the effect of alcohol is so great that, alcohol consumption does not add any positive values to the society.
One may argue that simple intake of alcohol can do no harm to the physical or medical structure of the body. That assumption is quite true, but the problem of alcohol is more than one sip of the beverage. In fact, one sip of an alcoholic beverage can become addicting and that it is what leads to the increased danger to the society. One could say that alcohol consumption impairs the sound judgment and cause cirrhosis of the liver. Still, individuals choose to consume alcohol because everybody else is doing it. The harsh truth is that people consume alcohol because of age restrictions. Consequently, the need to fit into the society surpasses the need to make sound judgments about negative actions. As a result, the laws showed ensure that there is no consumption of the alcohol as they reinstate the ban on the consumption of alcohol. The reality is that the only way to remove the use of the substance from the society is to completely remove the alcohol from the markets and the reach of individuals on a whole. What is the point of keeping a substance on the market that will ultimately kill individuals?
Some may argue that only adults over the age of twenty-one should be allowed to consume alcohol because they are responsible. But, how many accidents do theses responsible individuals cause on the roads each day? Based on the article, “The Pros and Cons of Prohibition” the prohibition of alcohol is important as a ban on alcohol limits and prevents all forms of alcohol addition, (The Pros and Cons of Prohibition, n.p.).” In addition, the article suggests that alcohol addiction “ruin[s] people’s lives, including their jobs, their friends, and their families,” (The Pros and Cons of Prohibition, n/p.). Why then should the laws of the land encourage individuals’ to continue to act as destructive elements in the society when they could prevent it from happening otherwise?
Since the dawn of time the concern of drug use has a legal and moral element. If the use of alcohol is legal, then individuals will gravitate towards its use, and there will be an increase in the number of alcoholics. Many individuals believe that because the laws allow an individual to consume alcohol, then they must do so. This blind belief leaves individuals with the concept that they must drink and drive, or drink and become violent. But, this should not be so. The legality of alcohol encourages people to drink and commit immoral acts such as lying and cheating on their spouses. Many individuals argue that the laws should not dictate the way people live their lives, but with the irresponsible actions of those who consume alcohol, the laws must intervene to help to curb the way people abuse alcohol.
“A number of researchers point out that most Americans drink alcohol regularly for celebratory occasions or to satisfy their thirst,” (Alcohol Facts and Statistics, 2014). The fact is that many Americans see alcohol consumption as a harmless activity; nevertheless this uncomplicated act lends itself to an increase in the need for alcohol. In addition, the “prevalence of drinking in 2012, [showed that 87.6 percent of people ages 18 or older reported that they drank alcohol at some point in their lifetime,” (Alcohol Facts and Statistics, n.p). Similarly, “seventy-one percent reported that they drank in the past year; 56.3 percent reported that they drank in the past month,” (Alcohol Fact and Statistics, n.p.). These facts suggest that there is a cause for concern in the society. Further statistics show that in 2012, approximately twenty-five percent of people ages over eighteen years old reported that they indulged in binge drinking within the past month; seven percent noted that engage in heavy drinking in the past month, (Alcohol Fact and Statistics, n.p).
In addition, the well thinking individual wants to live in a society that is productive but this productivity cannot become a reality if there is a society that has a large number of its citizens consuming alcohol and showing up late for work. In addition, there will be an increase in the number of domestic and physical abuse cases. Although some advocates for alcohol legality suggests that alcohol can help the economy in a positive way. But, the harsh reality is that the legality of alcohol in the society increases its uses and decreases productivity, as the more one drinks, the less work he gets done. There is no doubt that the government should place a ban on the use and distribution of alcohol as there are many negative repercussions with the use of alcohol. Arguably, the country would benefit more from making alcohol unavailable. The absence of alcohol in the society, worked for many years, and the society continued to improve in its productive ways. Therefore, if there is a ban on the substance there will continue to be a growth in the economy and a decline in the number of road fatalities and alcohol induced problems.
Blocker (2006) writes that the issue with alcoholism goes back as far as the 1900s. The Prohibition served as a framework to the ban on the use of alcohol. The ban was later repealed but by the end of the twentieth century, “two thirds of the alcohol consumed by Americans was drunk in the home or at private parties,” (Blocker, p.3). Yet, this domesticated drinking pattern has come into the wider society, and now, in the twentieth first century, the rate of alcohol consumption has increased drastically. The result of this increase is the severe negative consequences in the society. In the past prohibition helped effect a number of positive effects in the society, and therefore, these changes can continue if the law bans the use and sale of alcohol. While Edward Brecher notes that “alcohol [has] important medicinal or social uses,” (Brecher, par.1) individuals continue to misuse the substance on a regular basis.
In concluding, the alcohol use should be banned as alcohol consumption contributes to the increase in domestic violence, community violence, accidents on the roads, and road fatalities. People have been entrusted with the right to drink, but have been abusing this right throughout the decades; as a result, there should be a ban on the use of alcohol. While one may say that alcohol increases the economic growth and development in the country as sales of alcoholic beverages often increase with the seasons and the festivities.
Works Cited
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Blocker, Jack S. Jr. Ph.D. (2006, February) “Did Prohibition Really Work?” Alcohol Prohibition
as a Public Health Innovation Am J Public Health. 2006 February; 96(2): 233–243.
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Viewed at <http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1470475/pdf/0960233.pdf>
Accessed October 29, 2014
Brecher, Edward (1972) “The Consumers Union Report on Licit and Illicit Drugs” by Edward
M. Brecher and the Editors of Consumer Reports Magazine, 1972 Chapter 33. Why
Alcohol Should Not Be Prohibited Viewed at
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Levine, Harry G. & Reinarman, Craig (2004), Alcohol prohibition and drug prohibition. Lessons
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