Prohibition was an attempt to protect people from themselves. It failed miserably. It was, however, extremely successful in unwittingly aiding and abetting criminal gangs. The US is still living with the consequences.
The arguments for Prohibition are precisely the same as those now advanced against drugs such as cannabis, heroin, and P. They are an attempt to protect people from themselves. They, too, are failing miserably--but, as prohibition demonstrated--they are extremely successful in developing and aiding and abetting criminal gangs.
Once Prohibition failed, the law changed to focus upon the actions of those who were intoxicated. When intoxicated people did damage to people or property they were (and are) prosecuted. This is a far more coherent and consistently biblical position.
In our opinion, the "war on drugs" needs to end; drugs need to be decriminalised; the actions of drug takers towards others and their property need to be policed aggressively.
Opponents of this position will quite correctly point out that people who take heroin or P or cocaine will end up destroying their lives, even killing themselves. Yup. The Bible grants everyone a right to go to Hell in their own way. Let everyone be warned of the likely consequences and the dangers--but thereafter, it's up to each to act and face the outcome.
Ron Paul puts the matter in perspective:
Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul decried the “war on drugs” Thursday night, telling supporters in Washington state that people should be able to make their own decisions on such matters. Voters in Washington are likely to decide this year whether to legalize the recreational use of marijuana
“If we are allowed to deal with our eternity and all that we believe in spiritually, and if we’re allowed to read any book that we want under freedom of speech, why is it we can’t put into our body whatever we want?” Paul told more than 1,000 people at a rally in Vancouver, a suburb of Portland, Ore.
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