Prohibition in the UK

[JockSporran]

What do you think would happen if alcohol was banned in Britain? Would there be anarchy in the UK? Or would we accept it and get on with it? Obviously there would be illicit sales, bootlegging, moonshining and smuggling, but would it be as bad as the gangsterism that hit America during their prohibition? More importantly, would most people happily live without booze?

[Octavius]

I generally don�t think it could work. It would really depend upon what recourse or lawful retribution was enforced to dealing with it.

People would say that it works quite well in Muslim countries. But then if the underlying threat is that if you do, you�ll be whipped to an inch of your life or lose a limb, then generally speaking it is probably a high incentive to not do it. It would certainly put me off, or make me think twice. I probably wouldn�t buy a round (whats new!)

Fortunately we live in a free society, if you take away people�s freedom of expression and living standards then you could probably expect them to revolt. But would our already stretched judicial system be able to cope?

[Lil O'lady]

Perhaps by looking at our attempts to control the trade in illegal drugs, you can see where prohibition leads.

[keyplus90]

Personally it would not make any difference to me as I do not drink. I think government would not be able to do it here unless the health, social, and other expenses which relates to direct over consumption of alcohol would not supersede the revenue being generated through the alcohol industry.

[R1Geezer]

well the septics tried that back in the 20's or 30's just look at what happenned there and I'd imagine similar would happen here. Booze would be supllied by organised crime, there would be illicit drinking dens and illicit booze production and most likely and explosion of death caused by dodgy booze. It would mainly serve to strengthen organised crime.

[R1Geezer]

It works in Muslim countries because I think most of the population adhere to the teachings of the religion and don't want to drink anyway. It's much harder to take away something that is endemic in society at so many levels.

[chakka35]

I am not normally a law-breaker but if anyone tried to deprive me of my gin I would distill my own. Not difficult. And no, it wouldn't turn you blind (though possibly blind drunk) because I would use pure sugar to produce pure ethyl alcohol - flavoured, of course, with juniper berries, cinnamon, cardamom, licquorice, lemon pepper, burnt orange-peel.... gosh, I can taste it now.

[123everton]

If booze was banned in Spain then Legend might go out once in a while!
A colleague of mine used to live in Saudi and smuggled booze in for years (his mate got caught and sent to jail, where he was ******** senseless) we drink in the West (apparently) because that was how we learnt to purify fluids (in the East they have tea to flavour it) you'll never get rid of beer. Rather pointless views (I know) but I just thought I'd like to share it with the group.
It would be like 1920s America but the drugs analogy is flawed, I know lots of people who sell bootleg booze and ciggies.