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Fair enough, you have half a point there, though this is the whole 'guns don't kill people...' argument. In the context of western society alcohol abuse has be

Fair enough, you have half a point there, though this is the whole 'guns don't kill people...' argument. In the context of western society alcohol abuse has been almost normalized, and binge drinking especially amongst young people is considered 'a fun night out'. You are right, alcohol abuse is the problem. As a society we abuse alcohol. TV and sports events are saturated with alcohol advertising, children are exposed from a very young age to alcohol (ab)use. Granted, there is nothing wrong with drinking in moderation, I enjoy a few beers myself. Though if there were an actually sane and evidenced based approach to drug policy, alcohol would be seen to be one of the most damaging drugs and would be regulated appropriately. Regulation meaning education, higher taxes on alcoholic beverages, a heavy restriction on advertising, and support for the sick people that are abusing it.

burgerbrain 15y ago
Higher taxes on firearms works as a public policy, more or less. However, the 'higher taxes on dangerous things' model fails miserably when applied to addictive substances. This is evidenced directly in cigarette taxes, and indirectly in illegal substances. Addicts can literally chose their substance over food, and forget about rent and family members... A large portion of the suffering addicts endure can be traced directly back to financial hardships induced by the price of their substance. So not only does this sort of policy not work, but it is actively inhuman. Addicts need professional medical treatment, effectively telling them to 'just say no' is ignoring the reality of the situation. Not to mention you'll still have drunk rich jackasses in sportscars killing people (RIP Ryan Dunn)...