Should Alchohol be Illegal?

[Vitaphone Racing]

But my ideals are so much more idyllic than everyone else's! *nod*

My ideals have more lesbians, so there.

See, this is usually a huge drawcard, but I've found that if these lesbians aren't actually thinly disguised bi-sexuals then the rest of the fantasy just doesn't play out as well. Sorry, I'm being picky. I'll show myself out.

[Dyakovo]

In an ideal world, yes. Unfortunately, we do not live in an ideal world, and prohibition only leads to bad things.

Why would it be ideal for alcohol to be banned?

[Olthar]

In an ideal world, yes. Unfortunately, we do not live in an ideal world, and prohibition only leads to bad things.

Why would it be ideal for alcohol to be banned?

Because it's bad.

[Shofercia]

In an ideal world, yes. Unfortunately, we do not live in an ideal world, and prohibition only leads to bad things.

Why would it be ideal for alcohol to be banned?

Cause then we'd stop understanding the politicians, and vote them out

[Filthy Ginger Bastards]

Why would it be ideal for alcohol to be banned?

Because it's bad.

Alcohol is bad, mmm'kay?

[Pacifornia]

In an ideal world, yes. Unfortunately, we do not live in an ideal world, and prohibition only leads to bad things.

Why would it be ideal for alcohol to be banned?

It won't be for me! What am I gonna do on weekends? Have tea with my fraternity and talk about politics? Boring... *sips on watery Coors Light from a solo cup*

[Frisivisia]

Why would it be ideal for alcohol to be banned?

Because it's bad.

You wanna say that to alcohol's face?

[Aequalitia]

Why would it be ideal for alcohol to be banned?

Because it's bad.

Its bad also to smoking, its bad also to eat fast foot, its bad also to drink cola, its bad also to smoke weed.

Should we not just ban everything then because its all bad?

[Albicia]

Dear God no. If it's good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for me.

[Union Of Canadorian Socialists Republic]

Alchohol may not be the healthiest thing to consume, but the right to ingest it comes from me as an American citizen. No government should ban the manufacture, transportation, and consumption of achohol on a national level. Morally minded radicals should not tell me what I can and cannot do according to their own system of ethics. I have the right to my own well being; I don't need to have a federal nanny prohibiting me from doing something I am granted the right to do in the Constitution.

[Shofercia]

Which Amendment was celebrated with the best parties in town? Damn straight, the twenty-first!

[Olthar]

Because it's bad.

You wanna say that to alcohol's face?

That would be difficult as alcohol's face is probably on the barroom floor.

[Olthar]

Because it's bad.

Its bad also to smoking, its bad also to eat fast foot, its bad also to drink cola, its bad also to smoke weed.

Should we not just ban everything then because its all bad?

You seem to be under the impression that I am arguing for prohibition. I assure you that I have made it quite clear that I am not.

[Frisivisia]

You wanna say that to alcohol's face?

That would be difficult as alcohol's face is probably on the barroom floor.

Having the time of its life. Meanwhile, you and I are sitting here, suffering for our sobriety.

[Luveria]

Even if the expensive cost is ignored, then people are being treated as potential criminals already. It's akin to law-abiding citizens having their houses searched every month for illegal weapons, just to know they don't have any, even if they never had a record of any reason to suspect they may possibly possess illegal weapons.

Not all crimes can be prevented, and from an efficiency view, the maximum amount of gain is from those known to be susceptible to drunk driving being the ones to have preventative measures against them. Freedoms don't have much meaning if a society comes across as a semi-totalitarian one in which for any person to start their car they must prove they have had no alcohol. That creates a worse society for people to live in than one with drunk drivers.

That's an interesting take on it...

But do you agree it would probably save lives/pre-empt drunk driving accidents on one of the greatest scales?

If this device were on every single car, then there is no conceivable way (if the machine is working) for a person who is drunk to EVER drive a car.

I don't know if it crosses the line into being semi-totalitarian especially if we simply frame it as a safety feature (we already have laws that say the manufacturer must put in functioning air balloons, seat belts, certain safety procedures etc).

Furthermore, putting an breath analyzer ignition lock device into all cars is not a real invasion of privacy. The machine doesn't watch you... it doesn't have a camera installed it... it can only perform one function... lock your car if you were going to drive while being drunk (something we all universally condemn).

Why can't we just view it as an additional feature to make sure the ''right person'' drives the car?

Right now we have one mechanism in place to make sure the ''right person'' drives it... it is the key slot to start the car. The ''right person'' is the person who has the keys... Because we assume that if the driver has the keys then he is driving without violating a certain criminal law (theft etc).

Expand that definition of the ''right person'' to one who is not intoxicated under the influence of alcohol.

The breath analyzer device would serve an additional function to the key slot. It makes sure that the person who drives it is the ''right person'' to drive... that he is sober and not drunk. So the ''right person'' to drive any car would be 1) someone who has the keys (is the owner or someone the owner has presumably given permission to drive) and 2) someone NOT intoxicated and who we have to assume is not going to endanger society in the case he is sober.

I don't think see it as a breach of privacy or over-the-top monitoring of the individual because the monitoring is so limited. Also, it is going to save lives.

How many lives would be saved if a car were to automatically lock itself every single time someone who has too much alcohol in his breath were to try and drive it?

Hell this is one of the best preventative measures ever and it should definitely be installed on every car as a bylaw similar to seatbelts and other safety features...

We don't worry about the government or car manufacturers planting cameras or sound rec devices into other parts of the car that are mandatory by law (windshield, safety balloons, seatbelts etc)... so why should we worry about that with regard to this hypothetical mandatory device?

How will the government be monitoring us in a way that is semi-totalitarian? Heck... the government isn't even monitoring you... the machine is. It just locks the car down if you try to drive it while under alcohol...

Or am I mistaking how the machine works? It doesn't even have to reveal your position to the government... it just has to reliably shut the car down every single time someone fails the breath test.

If every single car in the country had this machine installed... we could at least get rid of one of the factors contributing to death and accident on the roads... alcohol (even if this wouldn't address the other potential substances). No?

What I mean is, even if your suggestion could get to the point it becomes a political movement. Do you really expect such a law to be passed?

I personally wouldn't care much about a breathalyzer lock in my door if everyone else had one. It's just a minor inconvenience. Yes, making cars unable to be driven while drunk, would prevent most drunk drivings, but can you really expect to have such legislation being passed especially in after the NSA things?

[Olthar]

That would be difficult as alcohol's face is probably on the barroom floor.

Having the time of its life. Meanwhile, you and I are sitting here, suffering for our sobriety.

Pssh! Maybe you're suffering. I'm having fun being able to comprehend things.

[Luveria]

Having the time of its life. Meanwhile, you and I are sitting here, suffering for our sobriety.

Pssh! Maybe you're suffering. I'm having fun being able to comprehend things.

I have fun not being able to comprehend things. That's part of why alcohol is enjoyable.

[Olthar]

Pssh! Maybe you're suffering. I'm having fun being able to comprehend things.

I have fun not being able to comprehend things. That's part of why alcohol is enjoyable.

*shrug*
Different strokes.

[Frisivisia]

Having the time of its life. Meanwhile, you and I are sitting here, suffering for our sobriety.

Pssh! Maybe you're suffering. I'm having fun being able to comprehend things.

Don't hide behind your facade. Drunkenness is the natural state of mankind, sobriety is the result of original sin, duh.

[Luveria]

I have fun not being able to comprehend things. That's part of why alcohol is enjoyable.

*shrug*
Different strokes.

What are your strokes?

[Dyakovo]

Why would it be ideal for alcohol to be banned?

Because it's bad.

Do you have a real reason? Because "it's bad" is false.

[Pacifornia]

Pssh! Maybe you're suffering. I'm having fun being able to comprehend things.

Don't hide behind your facade. Drunkenness is the natural state of mankind, sobriety is the result of original sin, duh.

Wait.....what bro? My Bacardi-addled mind is figuring this out...jk

[Olthar]

Pssh! Maybe you're suffering. I'm having fun being able to comprehend things.

Don't hide behind your facade. Drunkenness is the natural state of mankind, sobriety is the result of original sin, duh.

Well, I've never been much of a church person, and if I'm already damned, then I might as well deserve it. I'll become so stone cold sober that I can do complex math.

[Trelso]

Probably should be illegal, certainly should not be drunk in the quantities that us Brits drink it. However, due to the utter impracticality of illegalising it, not to mention handy examples via American Prohibition and the War on Drugs as to how it would be impossible and cripplingly expensive to enforce, the better choice is, as with (all?) drugs, always education and rehabilitation.

Granted. With how poor British 'education' on alcohol abuse is, it's probably better to just leave it at the status quo. Because seriously, I get bored of seeing "You will get raped/arrested/robbed/die if you drink!" adverts on TV (and even billboards these days...)

[Olthar]

*shrug*
Different strokes.

What are your strokes?

Video games and porn.