Prohibition, as history has shown, is always an abject failure that allows criminals to take over, some of whom may be cops, writes Quentin Wray
Prohibition, as history has shown, is always an abject failure that allows criminals to take over, some of whom may be copsThe Volstead Act, which outlawed the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages, came into force in the US a century ago. The move, which ushered in Prohibition, was ostensibly done for good reasons — to minimise the harm alcohol abuse was doing to society — but in the end all it did was strengthen the choke-hold violent criminal organisations had on American cities.
Thousands of jobs were lost as breweries, distilleries and saloons shut while upstream and downstream industries shed workers. Everywhere it has been tried, criminals have taken over and, because the laws are so self-defeating, they do not get seen as the bad guys Some people have pointed to the purported successes of the first period of the booze ban in SA as proof that it works. But this is patently nonsense. All the early numbers show is that the supply lines for illicit booze weren’t yet in place in SA. Cigarettes, which were banned at the same time, already had well-established and lucrative illegal supply lines and, although some people quit as a result of the ban, most just switched to illegal, more expensive and less safe suppliers.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Private schools, booze and Ramaphosa 'tears': SA reacts to school closuresMzansi was left with even more questions...
Read more »
Private schools, booze and Ramaphosa 'tears': SA reacts to school closuresMzansi was left with even more questions...
Read more »
China says US is on the ‘wrong track’ as it closes US consulateUS-China relations precarious with Trump saying the trade accord with China means ‘much less to’ him because of China’s role in the coronavirus
Read more »
Amid backlash for lockdown booze and tobacco ban tweet, government backtracks on alcohol, cigarette stanceThe government has backtracked on an earlier tweet which said alcohol and tobacco would not be permitted for sale until after the lockdown period. | CigaretteBan AlcoholBan
Read more »
Govt’s tweet on smokes and booze ban for ‘rest of lockdown’ not true, says govt tweetGovernment says the reason behind banning the sale of the two products was to save lives and protect the health and well-being of the country's citizenry.
Read more »
Millions of cigarettes and hundreds of thousands of litres of booze in police custodySince the beginning of the national lockdown, police have confiscated enough cigarettes and booze to keep several parties going for weeks, at the expense of collecting at least R12 billion in tax income.
Read more »