Dr. Cian Ó Concubhair:

Let me refer to some of the other consequences of prohibition in the US that we can note. There was a 400% increase in deaths, or more, due to toxic alcohol. The supply in the market became highly toxic and dangerous and there was a dramatic growth of organised crime in America. It evolved from prohibition because those concerned were handed a gigantic market. There was still massive demand. The consumption of alcohol dropped, but not dramatically. It dropped by about 20% but deaths skyrocketed because of the toxicity of the supply. Also, as Mr. Glynn said, part of the dynamic observed during prohibition involved what was sometimes called the iron law of prohibition. Some economists say the greater the escalation of penalties and coercive restrictions on substances, the more potent the substances become. What happened during prohibition was that beer disappeared and was replaced by higher strength alcohol, for a variety of reasons. It is easier to transport higher strength alcohol. Some people think that part of what is happening in the US with the growth of the fentanyl supply is that higher potency opioids are easier to transport in smaller amounts to avoid detection. It is the same with higher strength alcohol. What we would probably see would be the disappearance of porter and beers and the growth of drinks of higher strength, which are more dangerous. Part of the dynamic is that in unregulated markets, the substances become increasingly dangerous. Even if they are not toxic themselves, they can become dangerous because of their strength and the failure to regulate appropriately.