Would you ban alcohol?

I'm well aware this would never happen, it generates too much revenue for the government and employs thousands across the UK, so for the sake of this article we can only include the money side if we wish.

I was watching a documentary on channel 4 last night, '999 what's your emergency' which follows ambulance crews around the country showing what they deal with on a typical day.
It is frankly shocking the state that some people get themselves in to, urinating or sh1tting themselves, vomiting on themselves, sleeping in random door ways, fighting etc... All because they have had a few too many.

It is a sad reflection on society that people cannot exercise self control and enjoy a social drink. On one hand I would be all for a ban, alcohol makes many people act like bell ends, albeit they were probably bellends anyway, alcohol just multiplies this. But on the other hand why should sensible folk who enjoy 3 or 4 pints on a Saturday night be punished.

Would I support and ban? Yes, I think I would. Many politicians, and I agree, have pointed out that if alcohol was discovered today, it would be banned immediately.

Would you support a ban, if so why ? If not, how would you address the issue of binge drinking?

"You can't seriously want to ban alcohol. It tastes great, makes women appear more attractive and makes a person virtually invulnerable to criticism."

Fair enough question, Jack, but my answer would be 'not at all'. It didn't work out very well in the States way back when.
 
Without wishing to derail your thread already, I'd prefer to legalise (then control the sale of) drugs than ban alcohol. The reasons I think drugs should be legalised are kind of the same, but in reverse, for when considering whether alcohol should be banned.

Wouldnt support the ban myself.

Like you say people go out for a few pints to enjoy themselves.

I have had a fair few nights where I cant remember getting home etc.
I was out a few saturdays a go, and as my girlfriend is expecting only had 2 pints, then had softdrinks.

Seeing (younger) people falling over the place made me think what the fk are these people like.

IT would help a bit if pubs/clubs stop doing 2 for 1 drinks and things like that.

Places  with their happy hour(s)

As i sa i have been guilty of getting pi55ed where i dont remember getting home, but not to the point of these people as you say lying in the street unconscious.

I think a lot of the blame is placed on clubs and pubs promotions when they in fact have little to no impact. People would still get bladdered but it would just end up costing them more to do it.

I used to be a little bugger when I was drunk. It is a reflection of my character way back when I was a young fellow, but having 3 litres of cider didn't help.

Ban alcohol and people will only find something else to get stupid on...tell them that rubbing fish food in your armpits is the same as drinking Jack Daniels and suddenly all the kids are hanging around Pets at Home trying to look 18.

Too much money invested in alcohol for a ban to work and, as we've seen, there are tales of hard-up students buying knock-off vodka which contains chemicals that make them blind or burn holes in theiir stomach linings.

Greater education at home or even at school is probably a better solution

Il Gialloblu wrote:I'd prefer to legalise (then control the sale of) drugs than ban alcohol.

Same here. If the taking of a substance is pleasurable, you'll never stop people wanting to take it. We'd be better off accepting that axiom and working from there to regulate supply / consumption and put the money saved by not fighting unwinnable 'wars' into treatment and rehabilitation for the minority who get f*cked up.

alcochol will never be banned altogether, it just wont.

I wouldn't (unless it was always banned) I'd just fine them 500 quid a pop and hand out individual alcohol bans to offenders who turn up/brought drunk to the hospital/police station. Any call out = on the spot fine.

I don't think a ban on alcohol would ever get the go ahead because the government generates too much revenue from it for that to even be considered. If it did get banned I don't think it would work, look at the prohibition in the US for example. It would be as fruitless as the 'War on Drugs' has been. No supply without demand.

Moderated more efficiently, yes definitely. If you look at the damage caused by it from a health perspective but also from a social one I think more should be more done to tackle the fallout from alcohol abuse. The NHS spends a reported £3 billion a year tackling 1 million visits related to alcohol incidents.

Improved education of the risks of alcohol use would be key like Dave mentioned above.

I'd also suggest having children as a solution...try dealing with a screaming toddler when you've got a hangover and (like me) you'll give up drinking immediately as it's really not worth it.

I appear to have substituted ASDA's Smart Price midget gems for whiskey and lager and fear that my consumption of them may prove to be more harmful than having a meth habit

Remember that licenced premises are not supposed to serve alcoholic drinks to those already drunk. If landlords were made to comply with this regulation, the issues with excessive drinking and 'drunk and disorderly' behaviour would be cut dramatically. Agree as well about on the spot fines for drunkenness in a public place.

Banning alcohol is (A) impractical and (B) something that would adversely affect the majority of the population who do drink responsibly.

Perhaps we just need to adapt Dave's solution - raise the legal age for drinking to 30 or the birth of your first child, whichever is later. Oh, and ban midget gems, since they lead to more damaging substances, such as fruit pastilles  

I had a really bad pastille habit when I was in my twenties. Then they brought out those tubes with just the purple ones and I lost everything.

i hope thy dont ban beer it makes me happy

Maybe they could make alco-wine gums!

Ah alcohol.

When you're all alone in your English castle, with a sense of loneliness and sorrow, and a cold, broken heart full of dread - the bottle is your best friend.

Or so it seems anyway.

david lee wrote:i hope thy dont ban beer it makes me happy

That's the crux of it really. No government should ban a substance that makes an individual happy (as long as his happiness doesn't harm anyone else) just because that substance makes another person unhappy / a nuisance / dangerous. That's my view, anyway. Otherwise you're punishing everyone when only a few have a problem. Would you ban cakes because some people can't stop eating?

I think the junk food issue needs addressing. Too many fatties around these days who either need educating or learn to exercise some bloody self control.

Some people, especially women, lack any kind of knowledge on food. Like most work places, some women in the office are on diets an the food they eat is astonishing. Copious amounts of pasta, potato salads with salad cream... Basically just loads of stodge and sauce without any exercise. They are generally astonished at the amount I eat without being fat. Maybe it is because I exercise you lazy Poopie.

Given the horrific children some of these chavs end up producing after getting so hammered on cut price lager and knock off vodka they've no idea what they're stick their bits into, I'd suggest an immediate revamp of the whole procedure.

Example...if some scrote goes into the off-licence with his "lady", the person behind the counter should ask, "Are you two going to be having sex at some point this evening?" If the answer is along the lines of "Yes, after we've drunk this lot" they should be refused service and reported to the Police for a crime I haven't yet thought up.