How about banning sex to stop rapes in our country? That's how profound the talk about alcohol prohibition sounds these days. The trouble with all the talk on "Prohibition" is that these stupid ideas sound the most utopian. Exactly the same way as the way "Odd Even Scheme" sounds and turned out to be in reality. Not everything that sounds "morally right" is in fact morally right. When the talk should be about better monitoring than prohibition, we have the whole gamut of politicians of all colours, shapes and ideologies suddenly converging on one point - Let's Prohibit Alcohol.
What good happens if alcohol is prohibited? Nothing tangible. People will end up warming up to some other addiction. The only case against alcohol, and I admit that it is a very valid case, is that its addiction is destroying families. Now, for every one family that is getting destroyed due to the addiction of one of its family member, mostly the male earning member, there are hundreds which still enjoy alcohol without losing sight of family or social priorities. Why should they be punished?
Alcohol, was and still continues to be a recreational drink. Lot of people enjoy their drink with their friends and relatives. Heck, it is often an excuse for many families to meet each other up. Not that they can't meet without a glass of alcohol, but it pretty much gives them a reason to meet. In these days of hyper busy schedules and extended working hours, a pint of alcohol doesn't do any harm. I am told that many alcoholic beverages do have some medicinal properties. And overuse of anything can harm you big time.
Take the case of Cannabis. It is among the most addictive drugs available across the globe. It is not available for everyone across the counter. People still do get access to it. The point is not about its prohibition. It is about its medicinal properties. It is established as an support remedy / assistive medicine for chemotherapy, for cancer treatment. It also has properties for reducing muscle spasms. It may also have many other properties. But the point, can a blanket ban on such item sound reasonable, considering the fact that cure for cancer is yet to be found?
The point of the matter is banning alcohol doesn't give you anything except a moral standing in the general polity. And the way in which it is being propounded, it appears that alcohol will continue to be available in Five Star Hotels. This brings us to the next issue. Why should the affluent have access to recreational drinks when the poor cannot get a pint? Or let me phrase is differently. Why should the poor be denied recreational drinks which the rich and mighty have access to? Are we to understand that only the family of the poor gets destroyed due to the drink addiction? Or we to understand that only the poor are naive and stupid to sink themselves into alcohol at the cost of happiness in their family?
In which part of the world, has prohibition been extremely successful? Countries across the globe which have tried prohibition, have only reversed those decisions, after a period of time. Prohibition only gives rise to illicit trade and country made arrack, in the most unhygienic conditions, and causing even more deaths. To address addiction, we need education. And instead of sensitizing people to the ill effects of "overdoing" their drinking habit, talk about prohibition can at best be treated as rubbish.
As in the case of affirmative action for the socially backward communities, instead of addressing the need for basic education, our politicians ruined the country by reserving unduly higher number of seats in the institutes of higher learning, this dimwitted approach for "total prohibition" smacks of insensitivity and impracticality.
In a country where intolerance was very recently discovered (May 2014, to be precise), and the "freedom of expression" reigns supreme, I wonder why the "freedom of consumption of alcohol", which is such a minor freedom, and one that gratifies self without much trouble to other, should be denied? Btw, we hear that obesity is a bigger menace these days. Overeating of anything causes obesity. How about banning food therefore?
Comments