Alcohol Prohibition Comparisons

The cluster discusses historical US alcohol prohibition as a cautionary example against banning other substances like drugs, highlighting its failures such as increased crime, poor quality illicit products, and eventual repeal.

📉 Falling 0.2x Politics & Society
3,429
Comments
20
Years Active
5
Top Authors
#8839
Topic ID

Activity Over Time

2007
1
2008
6
2009
16
2010
53
2011
42
2012
86
2013
125
2014
137
2015
139
2016
180
2017
191
2018
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2019
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2020
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2021
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2022
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2023
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2024
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2025
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2026
17

Keywords

US IMHO www.npr pastemagazine.com history.com alcohol prohibition banning drink cannabis tobacco wine banned ban beer

Sample Comments

Mistri Feb 19, 2021 View on HN

You should probably read about the Prohibition[0] and the disadvantages of prohibiting addictive substances like alcohol.[0]: https://www.history.com/topics/roaring-twenties/prohibition

Geonode Dec 20, 2025 View on HN

How did banning drugs work out? Alcohol?

uncletaco Sep 25, 2022 View on HN

Because they tried to ban alcohol before and it didn't go too well.

r0s Jun 16, 2012 View on HN

Compare to alcohol prohibition.

wpietri Jul 29, 2021 View on HN

You seem to ignore that we've already tried banning alcohol and currently ban many drugs. We scrapped banning alcohol for a reason.

jmh530 Nov 6, 2017 View on HN

We tried banning alcohol once already...

grim_io Dec 15, 2025 View on HN

Alcohol is regulated, why not let them have it too?

vmception Feb 8, 2022 View on HN

Guess we should have banned alcohol again.

danielsju6 Sep 3, 2013 View on HN

Sounds like you need to read-up on the prohibition and what making alcohol illegal did to our country.

galaxyLogic Mar 30, 2023 View on HN

That is a bit like during Prohibition there was a lot of illegal alcohol much of which was bad quality containing methanol instead of ethanol, making people blind or deadhttps://www.pastemagazine.com/drink/alcohol-history/prohibit..."Suffice to say, the public didn’t take too kindly to that kind o