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Alcohol should be banned in the UK

username1204031

The Conservatives have made illegal a huge amount of drugs, some potentially safe and useful, in a single blanket ban. This is supposedly due to the cost to society of these drugs.

Why are we banning drugs that kill less than a hundred people a year between them for their cost to society? Surely we should be banning alcohol, which caused over 6000 deaths in 2012 and costs the NHS £3.5 BILLION a year.

I really can't fathom how the cost to society can be used to justify banning drugs when it's a normal occurrence for people to binge drink every week.

Reply 1

TheArtofProtest

2

The Government should also ban fast-food places, nationalize biscuit/sweets/chocolate companies and have a total ban on sugar to reduce the obesity epidemic that is ravaging the UK.

But the Government is putty in the hands of the "food and drinks lobby".

If you want to get anything decriminalized and legalized, all you have to do is to have a shitload of money and send out people to lobby ministers on your behalf.

The Government no longer works in the interests of people, just big corporations.

Reply 2

walking in sand

4

if people want to die as a result of substance misuse then thats just natural selection at work. :smile:

Reply 3

username1740449

13

My guess is that because drink isn't necessarily as harmful as certain drugs.

I don't know about you but I'd much rather greet someone who's drunk than someone who's hallucinating.

Furthermore, drink may well damage you physically and, to an extent, mentally but that's nothing compared to the damage some drugs can do to you.

I've yet to hear of anyone becoming schizophrenic, bi polar or hallucinate because of a vodka and coke. I know two schizophrenics and both of them ended up in that state because of drugs.

Drugs are more addictive too. Many say that you can get addicted to heroine from your first time. I've never met someone who's become an alcoholic from their first shot.

It's also easier to die of a drug related overdose than drink related overdose. I'm not saying drink related overdosed don't happen but they aren't half as common as drug related ones. I'm sure I don't have to explain that one any further.

Reply 4

AstroNandos

21

but alcohol is fun

Also how much do they get from tax on alcohol? Maybe more £3.5bn, idk

Reply 5

Daniellaaa

4

It's one of life's pleasures

Reply 6

mercuryman

20

Original post by Daniellaaa

It's one of life's pleasures

so is weed ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Reply 7

AperfectBalance

21

Lets see how that worked for America, oh wait it didn't, it is your fault if you drink too much, everything in moderation.
I do agree that it should be charged for in hospitals a small fine to discourage being too drunk and some points system

Reply 8

Rich Rollington

1

All recreational drugs should be legal for those who are aged 18 and over.

Reply 9

username1204031

OP

14

Original post by ShannyMorrison

My guess is that because drink isn't necessarily as harmful as certain drugs.

I don't know about you but I'd much rather greet someone who's drunk than someone who's hallucinating.

Furthermore, drink may well damage you physically and, to an extent, mentally but that's nothing compared to the damage some drugs can do to you.

I've yet to hear of anyone becoming schizophrenic, bi polar or hallucinate because of a vodka and coke. I know two schizophrenics and both of them ended up in that state because of drugs.

Drugs are more addictive too. Many say that you can get addicted to heroine from your first time. I've never met someone who's become an alcoholic from their first shot.

It's also easier to die of a drug related overdose than drink related overdose. I'm not saying drink related overdosed don't happen but they aren't half as common as drug related ones. I'm sure I don't have to explain that one any further.

Fair point about some being more dangerous, but I don't think it holds up. It's *normal* for drunken brawls to erupt on a Friday night. How is that any different from somebody having a bad trip? In fact, there are very few street drugs that lead to the type of aggression and poor decision making that alcohol does. Most of them are also a hell of a lot safer to take when driving. 3000 people/year are killed or seriously injured in drink driving accidents a year.

As for damage, I disagree. What makes schizophrenia worse than liver disease?

A lot of drugs aren't really more addictive than alcohol. Cannabis isn't physically addictive. Most of the "legal highs" banned by the new bill aren't addictive. Heroin is very addictive, but that's the exception rather than the rule.

Also a fair point about overdoses. But I'd argue that far fewer people would OD if they had access to a safe source of drugs and information on using them safely.

Reply 10

SophieSmall

21

The government makes far far more money on tax from alcohol than it does spending money on NHS alcohol related problems. So cost to the government is a pointless argument against alcohol.

Reply 11

username1204031

OP

14

Original post by SophieSmall

The government makes far far more money on tax from alcohol than it does spending money on NHS alcohol related problems. So cost to the government is a pointless argument against alcohol.

Wouldn't the same inevitably be true for other drugs? Even more so because a lot of drugs are far less harmful than alcohol.

Reply 12

SophieSmall

21

Original post by JordanL_

Wouldn't the same inevitably be true for other drugs? Even more so because a lot of drugs are far less harmful than alcohol.

Drugs could be profitable yes.

Reply 13

ChaoticButterfly

20

Original post by walking in sand

if people want to die as a result of substance misuse then thats just natural selection at work. :smile:

Except alcohol generally kills you once you have already had children and they have grown up. That's when it catches up with you. Obviously you can die form an overdose.

That and alcohol has been consumed by humans since like forever. It would appear natural selection aint to bothered.

Reply 14

Ronda Rousey

2

Original post by JordanL_

The Conservatives have made illegal a huge amount of drugs, some potentially safe and useful, in a single blanket ban. This is supposedly due to the cost to society of these drugs.

Why are we banning drugs that kill less than a hundred people a year between them for their cost to society? Surely we should be banning alcohol, which caused over 6000 deaths in 2012 and costs the NHS £3.5 BILLION a year.

I really can't fathom how the cost to society can be used to justify banning drugs when it's a normal occurrence for people to binge drink every week.

If you ban alcohol, there goes 80% of the population's reason to live - especially in a country as depressing as the UK.

Reply 15

username1204031

OP

14

Original post by Ronda Rousey

If you ban alcohol, there goes 80% of the population's reason to live.

So we also solve overpopulation. Two birds with one stone, that works for me!

Reply 16

math42

20

Nah, should be more legalisation, not more criminalisation. Alcohol is okay in moderation, and that is what those who consider it "okay" relative to other drugs will say, but then so is weed.. Alcohol would without a doubt be a Class A drug if it was discovered today. We accept the huge negative effects because they're just commonplace. I can't imagine things would be much worse if it was cocaine, for instance, that was the acceptable super dangerous recreational drug; people don't really think of alcohol in the right way imo. But I can't talk because I am just the same

Reply 17

Josb

6

Original post by TheArtofProtest

The Government should also ban fast-food places, nationalize biscuit/sweets/chocolate companies and have a total ban on sugar to reduce the obesity epidemic that is ravaging the UK.

You're serious?

Reply 18

username1204031

OP

14

Original post by Josb

You're serious?

How is that anymore absurd than banning all psychoactive substances? A huge portion of drugs that the government have made illegal aren't addictive and have no long-term health effects. They're SAFER than fast food.