Of course. Developing laws is a complex process involving multiple individuals and institutions that vary by a country’s political system (e.g., democratic, authoritarian, parliamentary, presidential). However, there are common key role players across most systems.

Here is a breakdown of the primary actors involved in developing laws, categorized by their typical functions:

1. The Legislative Branch (The Law-Making Body)

This is the most obvious group, formally empowered to debate, amend, and pass legislation.

· Legislators/Parliamentarians: Elected representatives (e.g., Members of Parliament, Senators, Congresspersons) who propose bills, debate their merits, vote on amendments, and ultimately vote to pass or reject laws.
· Political Parties & Coalitions: They shape the legislative agenda, provide voting discipline, and negotiate compromises. The majority party or coalition typically controls the schedule and content of major legislation.
· Committee Members: Legislatures work in specialized committees (e.g., Finance, Judiciary, Health). These committees conduct detailed scrutiny of bills, hold public hearings, and make crucial amendments. Committee chairs are particularly powerful.

2. The Executive Branch (The Proposal and Implementation Branch)

The executive is often the primary source of major legislative proposals.

· Head of Government & Cabinet: The Prime Minister, President, or Chancellor, along with government ministers, sets the policy agenda. Most significant government bills are drafted by ministries.
· Government Ministries/Departments: Civil servants and legal experts within ministries do the technical work of drafting bills. They provide the expertise on complex issues (taxation, health, defense).
· Head of State: In many systems, the President or Monarch has a formal role in assenting to (signing) a bill to make it law, or in rare cases, vetoing it.

3. The Judicial Branch (Interpretation and Review)

Courts do not create laws directly but play a critical role in their development.

· Constitutional/Supreme Courts: They have the power of judicial review—they can invalidate laws deemed unconstitutional. This shapes how future laws are written.
· Judges: Through court rulings and precedent (in common law systems), judges effectively interpret and can expand or narrow the scope of existing laws, influencing legislative priorities.

4. Influencers and Stakeholders (External Pressure & Expertise)

These groups do not have a formal vote but exert significant influence.

· Lobbyists & Special Interest Groups: Represent business, labor unions, professional associations, etc. They provide data, advocate for specific provisions, and seek to persuade legislators.
· Civil Society Organizations (NGOs): Advocacy groups (e.g., for human rights, environment, poverty) mobilize public opinion, provide expert testimony, and hold lawmakers accountable.
· The Public & Media:
· Citizens/Voters: Through elections, protests, petitions, and public opinion, they set the broad boundaries of what is politically possible.
· Media: Investigative journalism, editorials, and coverage shape public debate and can pressure lawmakers to act on certain issues.
· Experts & Academics: Scholars, think tanks, and consultants provide research, data, and policy analysis that form the evidence base for legislation.
· International Bodies: Organizations like the UN, WTO, or the EU (for member states) can create treaties and standards that countries often translate into domestic law.

5. The Drafting Experts (The Technical Crafters)

· Legislative Counsel/Drafters: These are highly specialized lawyers who translate policy ideas into precise legal text. Their role is technical but vital—poor drafting can lead to unintended consequences and lawsuits.

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How the Process Varies by System:

· Parliamentary System (e.g., UK, India, Canada):
· Key Player: The Government (Executive) dominates. It controls the parliamentary agenda through its majority. Most major bills are “government bills” with a high chance of passing.
· Role of individual legislators is weaker unless from the ruling party.
· Presidential System (e.g., USA, Brazil):
· Key Players: A more independent Legislature. The executive (President) proposes, but Congress has significant power to amend, block, or initiate its own bills. Lobbying is highly institutionalized.
· Separation of powers leads to more negotiation and potential deadlock.
· Authoritarian/One-Party States (e.g., China, North Korea):
· Key Player: The Ruling Party is paramount. The legislature typically rubber-stamps decisions made by the party leadership. Public consultation and independent influence are minimal or state-controlled.
· Hybrid and Developing Democracies: The influence of the military, religious institutions, or powerful oligarchs can be a significant, though often informal, factor in law development.

Visualizing the Flow:

A simplified law-making ecosystem often looks like this:

Problem/Public Demand → Picked up by Media/Political Parties → Developed into policy by Executive Ministry + Drafters → Formally introduced by Executive or Legislator → Scrutinized and amended by Legislative Committees (hearing from Lobbyists, NGOs, Experts) → Debated and voted on by Full Legislature → Head of State gives assent → Implemented by Executive → Interpreted and reviewed by Judiciary.

In summary, while elected legislators are the formal law-makers, the real process involves a dynamic interplay between politicians, career civil servants, judges, and a wide array of external stakeholders pressuring and informing them.

DIFFICULT SITUATION S LIKE ELECTIVE MEMBERS ROLE WITHOUT EXPERTISE

This is an excellent and fundamental question about the tension between representative democracy and expertise. Your concern highlights a classic dilemma: if both the voters and their representatives lack deep understanding of lawmaking and its consequences, can the system produce good laws?

The short answer is yes, it can and often does play a negative role, but democratic systems have evolved mechanisms to try to mitigate these weaknesses. It’s a built-in vulnerability that is balanced against other values.

Let’s break down the problem and the systemic responses.

The Core Problem (The Negative Role)

1. The “Amateur Legislator” Problem: A newly elected representative might be a community organizer, a businessperson, or a celebrity, not a constitutional scholar. They may:
   · Be overly reliant on party leadership or lobbyists for cues on how to vote.
   · Pursue popular, short-term fixes that are legally unsound or have harmful unintended consequences.
   · Lack the skill to scrutinize complex legislation (e.g., 500-page budget or tech regulation bills), leading to poorly crafted laws.
2. The “Uninformed Electorate” Problem: Voters may:
   · Vote based on charisma, identity, or single emotional issues rather than a candidate’s understanding of governance.
   · Have demands that are contradictory or impossible to implement within legal and fiscal realities.
   · Be susceptible to misinformation, making it hard to hold representatives accountable for poor lawmaking.

Result: This can lead to populist legislation (laws that sound good but are ineffective or dangerous), legal instability (constant repealing and rewriting of laws), and a system vulnerable to capture by well-organized special interests who do understand the complexities.

The Democratic System’s Mitigations (Checks and Balances)

Despite this vulnerability, systems don’t collapse immediately because of these countervailing forces:

1. The Professional Bureaucracy (The Institutional Memory): As mentioned earlier, ministry officials and legislative drafters are career civil servants. They are the experts. They translate a legislator’s popular idea into legally sound text, warn of constitutional pitfalls, and forecast implementation challenges. A good system forces politicians to work through these experts.
2. Committees and Specialization: Legislatures don’t work as 500 generalists. They form specialized committees. A representative on the Health Committee for 10 years develops significant expertise, even if they weren’t a doctor. They hear from experts, debate nuances, and become the informed core that guides the larger chamber.
3. The Judiciary (The “Cooling” Institution): Courts act as a brake. A poorly made, emotionally-driven law that violates rights or oversteps constitutional authority can be struck down or narrowed by judicial review. This forces the legislature to be more careful and precise.
4. Advisors, Staff, and Think Tanks: Legislators have personal and committee staffs—often lawyers and policy wonks—who research and advise them. They also draw on non-partisan research services (e.g., the Congressional Research Service in the US).
5. The Filter of Political Parties: While often criticized, parties vet candidates, develop policy platforms based (ideally) on some coherent ideology and research, and provide discipline. They are a mechanism to aggregate and refine the often-contradictory demands of the public.
6. The Role of Time and Iteration: Lawmaking is iterative. A bad law’s consequences become apparent, leading to public pressure, media scrutiny, and eventual amendment or repeal. This “learning by doing” is messy but is a form of collective feedback.

The Philosophical Defense: Representation vs. Expertise

The democratic argument accepts this trade-off because it prioritizes other values:

· Scope: Responsible for ~3 million deaths annually (from liver disease, cancer, injuries, violence). That’s more than tuberculosis, HIV/AIDS, or diabetes.
· Burden: Causes massive losses in productivity and places enormous strain on healthcare and judicial systems worldwide.
· The “Public Health Paradox”: Despite the data, alcohol is different from tobacco:
· The J-Curve Effect: Some epidemiological studies suggest low-level consumption (especially of wine) might have cardioprotective effects, muddying the public health message. No such benefit exists for tobacco.
· Cultural Capital: Alcohol is tied to celebration, cuisine, and religion in a way tobacco never was. It’s part of French wine culture, German beer festivals, Japanese sake rituals.
· Industry Structure: The alcohol industry is often made up of prestigious, longstanding brands that can position themselves as part of a nation’s heritage, unlike the pariah status of Big Tobacco.

· Legitimacy over Efficiency: A law made by elected amateurs is seen as more legitimate than one made by unelected experts. People are more likely to accept a law, even a flawed one, if it comes from “their” representative.
· Accountability: An expert cannot be voted out. A clueless legislator can. This ultimate accountability is the system’s core corrective mechanism.
· Representing Values, Not Just Knowledge: Lawmaking isn’t just a technical exercise; it’s about values, priorities, and trade-offs (“Should we spend more on defense or healthcare?”). Voters elect people who share their values, not necessarily those with the highest IQ. The expert’s role is to execute those value choices competently.

Conclusion: A Managed Inefficiency

Yes, the election of non-experts by a sometimes-uninformed public is a source of significant weakness and can produce bad laws. It creates inefficiency, instability, and vulnerability to demagoguery.

However, modern democracies are not pure “amateur” systems. They are hybrids that attempt to couple the legitimacy and values of popular representation with the expertise of permanent institutions (bureaucracy, judiciary, committee system).

The system’s health depends on the balance:

· When the link between representatives and voters breaks down, or when expertise is vilified (“anti-elitism”), the negative aspects dominate, leading to dysfunctional governance.
· When the system works well, the elected representatives set the direction and values (“We need to address climate change”), and the expert institutions help them find the most effective and legally sound way to get there.

The perennial challenge is ensuring that the experts serve the public will, and that the public will is informed enough to make wise choices about who represents it.

A country realized smoking is harmful for citizens and likes to make strict laws. How to overcome the difficulties who oppose like consumers, industrialists, corrupt politicians bribed etc . Can you share the experiences in these situations?

Excellent question. This is a classic public health policy challenge where the government’s goal (population health) conflicts with powerful economic interests and personal freedoms. Successfully navigating this requires a multi-pronged, strategic approach. Here are the proven strategies and experiences from countries that have led the way in tobacco control (like Australia, the UK, Norway, Singapore, and Uruguay).

A Strategic Framework: The “MPOWER” by WHO

The World Health Organization’s MPOWER package encapsulates the global best practices, born from decades of experience fighting opposition:

1. Monitor tobacco use and prevention policies.
2. Protect people from tobacco smoke (smoke-free laws).
3. Offer help to quit tobacco use.
4. Warn about the dangers of tobacco (graphic labels, media campaigns).
5. Enforce bans on tobacco advertising, promotion, and sponsorship.
6. Raise taxes on tobacco.

Overcoming opposition means implementing these while strategically managing the political and social battle.

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1. How to Overcome Opposition from Different Groups

A. Dealing with the Tobacco Industry & Allied Industrialists

· Experience: The industry’s playbook is well-documented: deny science, fund “independent” research, lobby politicians, threaten job losses, and use front groups.
· Counter-Strategies:
· Sunlight as Disinfectant: Publicly expose industry tactics. Use documentaries, investigative journalism, and public hearings to reveal lobbying and misleading information. Australia did this effectively.
· Decouple Economic Arguments: Commission independent economic studies showing that healthcare costs and lost productivity far outweigh tobacco jobs/taxes. Highlight the economic burden of smoking-related diseases.
· Isolate the Industry: Adopt a policy of “non-engagement” or “firewalling.” Governments (like in Uruguay and under the WHO FCTC) refuse to let the industry be part of public health policy-making, treating it as a vector of disease.
· Litigation: Use the courts. While costly, lawsuits (like the US Master Settlement Agreement) can drain industry resources and force the release of damaging internal documents.

B. Dealing with Corrupt Politicians / Those Susceptible to Bribes

· Experience: Corruption is the single biggest killer of strong legislation.
· Counter-Strategies:
· Build a Broader Coalition: Reduce the power of any single corrupt official. Create an overwhelming coalition of health ministries, doctors’ associations, cancer societies, teachers, parents, and even finance ministries (who want tax revenue from high excise).
· Generate Public Demand: Make supporting the law politically popular. Use public opinion polls and create citizen advocacy groups. A politician is less likely to vote against a popular public health measure for a bribe if they believe it will cost them the next election.
· Transparency in Politics: Mandate public disclosure of all meetings with lobbyists and all political donations. India and others have used this to shame politicians who meet with tobacco lobbyists.
· Use International Frameworks: Ratify and implement the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). This provides legal and moral high ground, making it harder for politicians to oppose laws by citing international obligations and norms.

C. Dealing with Consumers (Smokers) & Personal Freedom Arguments

· Experience: “Nanny state” and freedom arguments are the industry’s most powerful tool to mobilize public opposition.
· Counter-Strategies:
· Frame it as Protecting Others: Start with smoke-free laws (MPOWER #2). This isn’t about the smoker’s choice, but about protecting waiters, office workers, and children from secondhand smoke. This is highly effective and builds a constituency of non-smokers.
· Emphasize Help, Not Just Punishment: Couple every restrictive measure with a strong, publicly-funded cessation program (MPOWER #3). Offer free quitlines, subsidized nicotine patches, and counseling. This shows the government cares about smokers, not just penalizes them. The UK’s NHS Stop Smoking Services are a model.
· Use Irrefutable, Emotional Messaging: Mandate large, graphic health warnings (MPOWER #4) on packs. Images of diseased lungs and mouth cancer are more powerful than text. Run hard-hitting mass media campaigns showing the human cost.
· Engage Respected Messengers: Use doctors, nurses, cancer survivors, and even ex-industry executives to deliver the message, not just government officials.

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2. Sequencing and Packaging: The Art of Implementation

The order in which you introduce laws matters tremendously.

1. Start with the Unassailable: Begin with smoke-free public places and banning advertising. These protect children and non-smokers and are hard to argue against morally. They shift social norms.
2. Build the Evidence Base: Use the implementation of step one to monitor (M) the results—show declining hospital admissions for heart attacks, etc. This builds a case for stronger measures.
3. Raise Taxes (The Most Effective Tool): Increase excise taxes significantly and regularly (MPOWER #6). High prices prevent youth from starting and encourage adults to quit. Earmark a portion of this revenue for health campaigns and cessation services. This is a powerful political tool: you’re not taking money away, you’re creating a new funding stream for public good.
4. Introduce “Harder” Measures: Once public acceptance is built, introduce plain packaging (Australia was first), further advertising bans, and restrictions on point-of-sale displays.
5. Keep the Endgame in Sight: Frame the goal not just as “control” but as a “Smoke-Free Generation.” New Zealand’s (now repealed) pioneering law aimed to ban sales to anyone born after 2008. This visionary goal changes the narrative from restricting current adults to protecting future children.

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Key Lessons from Global Experience:

· You cannot negotiate with the tobacco industry. Their business model is incompatible with public health. Any compromise they offer is designed to delay and weaken.
· Public opinion leads, politics follows. Massive public education campaigns are not just for smokers; they are to create a supportive environment for politicians to act.
· Litigation is inevitable. The industry will sue. Prepare for it. Have a top-notch legal team, learn from other countries’ cases (Australia won a landmark plain packaging case at the WTO), and see litigation as a chance to expose their tactics.
· There is strength in unity. Align with the WHO FCTC, learn from other countries’ successes (Thailand, Brazil, Turkey), and present your policies as part of a global, evidence-based movement, not a wild national experiment.
· Persistence pays off. Tobacco control is a marathon, not a sprint. Social norm change takes a generation. The countries with the lowest smoking rates (now ~10-15%) started this fight 40-50 years ago.

In essence, the winning formula is:
Build an unassailable coalition of health and civic groups, use iron-clad science and emotional storytelling to win public support, sequence laws strategically from protection to prevention, firewall corrupting industry influence, and use the courts and international treaties as shields. The path is difficult, but the blueprint for success is clear and has been proven across diverse cultures and political systems.

WHO DRAWS THE LINE

“Who draws the lines between personal freedom, infringement s and national interest for protecting health of citizens?”

This is one of the most profound and contentious questions in political philosophy and public health. The “line-drawing” is not done by a single entity, but through a dynamic, often conflict-ridden process involving multiple institutions and societal forces.

Here’s a breakdown of who draws the lines and how, using the tobacco control example as a concrete case:

The Primary Line-Drawers (Institutions & Processes)

1. The Legislative Branch (Elected Representatives)

· Role: They enact the primary laws (e.g., banning smoking in restaurants, mandating graphic warnings). They are the first formal line-drawers.
· How They Decide: Through a mix of:
· Public Mandate & Opinion: Responding to (or shaping) voter concerns.
· Expert Testimony: Hearing from health officials, economists, and legal scholars.
· Lobbying & Interests: Balancing pressure from health advocates vs. industry and libertarian groups.
· Political Ideology: Core beliefs about the proper role of the state (minimalist vs. interventionist).

2. The Judicial Branch (Courts)

· Role: They are the ultimate arbiters when a law is challenged as an unconstitutional infringement on personal liberty. They interpret the constitution and legal precedents to decide if the state’s interest is sufficient to override individual freedom.
· The Classic Legal Test (from cases like Jacobson v. Massachusetts, 1905):

1. Does the state have a “compelling interest”? (Protecting public health is almost always deemed compelling.)
2. Is the law “narrowly tailored” to achieve that interest? (Is a complete ban necessary, or would a section for smokers suffice?)
3. Is it the “least restrictive means” possible? (Could the goal be achieved with less infringement, e.g., through education instead of prohibition?)
   · Example: Courts have consistently upheld smoking bans in public spaces because the state’s interest in protecting others from secondhand smoke is compelling, and the infringement on the smoker’s freedom is limited to specific shared environments.
4. The Executive Branch & Public Health Bureaucracy

· Role: They propose and implement the lines. Health ministries and agencies (like the CDC or FDA) use scientific evidence to define the threat and recommend specific interventions. Their expertise heavily influences where legislators start drawing the line.

4. The People (Civil Society & Public Discourse)

· Role: Through elections, protests, media, and cultural shifts, the public sets the outer boundaries of the politically possible. The “line” moves as social norms change.
· Example: In the 1960s, smoking on airplanes was a personal freedom. Today, it’s widely seen as a harmful imposition on others. The line moved because public understanding of secondhand smoke evolved.

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The Philosophical Frameworks for Drawing the Line

Different ethical principles clash in this debate:

1. The Harm Principle (John Stuart Mill): The state can only interfere with individual liberty to prevent harm to others. This strongly justifies smoke-free laws (protects bystanders) but is weaker for justifying bans on smoking in one’s own home or on unhealthy foods (primarily self-harm).
2. Paternalism: The state may restrict freedom to prevent individuals from harming themselves (e.g., seatbelt laws, banning certain drugs). “Soft paternalism” (nudges, heavy taxes) is more accepted than “hard paternalism” (outright bans for self-harm).
3. Utilitarianism: Seeks the greatest good for the greatest number. A small infringement on a smoker’s freedom (a public ban) is justified by the large health benefit to the population.
4. Libertarianism: Heavily weights personal freedom and views most health interventions as unjustified infringements, unless clear, direct harm to others is proven.

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How the Line is Drawn in Practice: A Dynamic Negotiation

The process isn’t linear but a constant tug-of-war:

Step 1 – Problem Identification: Science identifies a threat (e.g., secondhand smoke causes cancer).
Step 2 – Public & Expert Mobilization: Health advocates demand action, framing the issue (e.g., “Your right to smoke ends where my lungs begin”).
Step 3 – Political Proposal: Legislators, advised by experts, draft a law (e.g., a ban in workplaces).
Step 4 – Challenge & Refinement: Industry and civil liberties groups cry “overreach.” The debate enters public and legal arenas.
Step 5 – Adjudication & Adjustment: Courts may strike down parts of the law, forcing a more “narrowly tailored” approach. Public acceptance grows as norms shift.
Step 6 – Normalization & New Frontiers: The line becomes accepted (nobody now debates airplane smoking bans). The process then begins anew for the next frontier (e.g., vaping, sugar taxes).

Critical Factors That Influence Where the Line is Drawn:

· Severity & Immediacy of Harm: Immediate, lethal harm to others (drunk driving) justifies stronger infringement than long-term, probabilistic self-harm (eating junk food).
· Alternatives & Effectiveness: Is there a less restrictive way to achieve the goal? (Education vs. prohibition).
· Social Contract & Solidarity: In societies with strong communal values or public healthcare systems, the argument “your unhealthy choices burden our shared resources” carries more weight (e.g., in many European nations).
· Cultural Context: The U.S. prioritizes individualism, making soda taxes highly controversial. Singapore’s “social contract” accepts more paternalistic laws for collective good.

Conclusion: No Single Drawer, An Evolving Canvas

No philosopher-king draws the line. It is collectively negotiated through:

· Politics (the will of the majority, as expressed by legislators),
· Law (constitutional protections, as interpreted by courts),
· Science (evidence of harm, provided by experts), and
· Culture (evolving social norms, driven by public discourse).

The line is never static. It shifts with new scientific evidence, tragic events, changing values, and legal challenges. Tobacco control succeeded because it effectively moved the debate from the liberty-focused frame (“my right to smoke”) to the harm-focused frame (“your smoke harms me and costs us all”), thereby justifying greater infringement in the eyes of the courts and the public.

Ultimately, the “line” is the ever-moving frontier where a society balances two of its most cherished values: collective well-being and individual autonomy. The drawing process is messy, democratic, and never truly finished.

Q: USA tried to ban alcohol at some point and seems to have failed in spite of data suggesting its hazards on public health, financial affects, social difficulties and crimes… are there any more efforts being attempted in any other countries? Is it a worldwide problem?

A:

You’ve hit upon one of the most instructive public policy failures in modern history: Prohibition in the United States (1920-1933). Its failure provides a crucial contrast to the relative success of tobacco control and answers your question about modern efforts.

Why Prohibition Failed vs. Why Tobacco Control Succeeds

Factor Alcohol Prohibition (USA) Modern Tobacco Control Result
Goal Total ban (abolition of a deeply embedded substance) Harm reduction & denormalization (regulation, taxation, restricting use) Prohibition’s goal was absolute and unattainable; tobacco control aims for manageable reduction.
Public Support Initially strong from temperance movement, but rapidly eroded as inconveniences hit mainstream society. Built gradually, starting with protecting non-smokers. Now has stable majority support in many nations. Lack of sustained public will doomed Prohibition.
Alternatives None offered. Drinkers were simply told to stop. Offers alternatives: Nicotine patches, gum, vaping (as cessation tools), smoke-free areas. Prohibition was punitive; tobacco control is framed as supportive.
Enforcement Led to explosive organized crime, corruption, and widespread disrespect for law. Focused on vendors and advertising, not criminalizing users. Avoids creating a black market for standard cigarettes. Criminalizing a popular behavior creates massive enforcement problems.
Cultural Embeddedness Alcohol was (and is) deeply woven into social, religious, and ethnic traditions. Smoking, while habitual, is less central to rituals and is increasingly framed as a pharmacological addiction. It’s harder to ban a cultural lubricant than a delivery device for nicotine.

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Are There Modern “Prohibition” Efforts for Alcohol?

Yes, but they are highly targeted, not blanket bans, and learn from the US failure.

1. Nordic Model (Sweden & Norway): Heavy Control, Not Ban

· System: State monopolies on sales (Systembolaget in Sweden, Vinmonopolet in Norway). High prices, limited hours, strict age verification, no advertising.
· Goal: To reduce harm and consumption by eliminating the profit motive for pushing sales and making alcohol a planned, not impulsive, purchase.
· Result: Successful in reducing per-capita consumption and harm, with strong public support. It’s regulation, not prohibition.

2. Dry Regions & Bans: Localized and Culturally Specific

· India: Several states have periodic prohibition (Gujarat, Bihar, Nagaland). It’s politically popular in certain contexts but leads to smuggling, illicit brewing, and enforcement issues—echoing US Prohibition on a regional scale. Success is mixed and hotly debated.
· Islamic Countries: Nations like Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Iran have bans based on religious law. Enforcement varies, and black markets exist where demand is high (e.g., among expatriates).
· Indigenous Communities & Localities: Many communities worldwide (e.g., in Canada, Australia, the US) have local prohibition to address specific crises of addiction and harm. These are community-led, not imposed from outside.

3. The “New Prohibition” Focus: Harm Reduction, Not Abstinence

The modern public health approach to alcohol is not about banning it, but:

· Heavy taxation (minimum unit pricing, as in Scotland & Canada).
· Severe restrictions on marketing (especially to youth).
· Strict drink-driving laws.
· Investment in treatment for alcohol use disorder.

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Is it a Worldwide Problem? Absolutely.

Alcohol is a global public health crisis according to the WHO.

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Conclusion: The Lessons for Public Health

1. The US Prohibition Failure is the Textbook Case of what not to do: Don’t criminalize a widely desired substance without overwhelming, sustained public support and viable alternatives.
2. The Modern Playbook is “Control, Don’t Prohibit.” Successful strategies (for both tobacco and alcohol) focus on:
   · De-normalization (making it less visible and attractive).
   · Price controls (taxation).
   · Access restrictions (age limits, controlled sales).
   · Protection of others (drink-driving laws, public intoxication rules).
3. Alcohol Remains a Tougher Fight Than Tobacco because of its cultural embeddedness and perceived (if debated) benefits at low doses. The goal globally is shifting from abstinence to harm reduction and “responsible use” within a heavily regulated framework.

The ultimate takeaway: Public health policy must be as much about psychology, sociology, and political feasibility as it is about epidemiological data. A law that is scientifically perfect but culturally intolerable will fail, as Prohibition did. The global challenge is to find that moving line—as societies are doing with tobacco, and now more cautiously with alcohol and ultra-processed foods.