Prohibition !

The Federal government's decision to impose a six month alcohol ban on Aboriginal communities within the Northern Territory raises some interesting questions on the power of governments to regulate our lives.
The world's biggest imposition of state control occurred on October 28, 1919 when the United States congress passed the Volstead Act, bringing an era of prohibition - and with it an era of uncontrolled lawlessness as crime bosses and the public ignored this act.
In Australia we have had times of partial prohibition. In many states the law prohibited the sale or consumption of alcohol past six o'clock in the evening, leading to what became known as " the six o'clock swill ".
There were - and still are - restrictions on the age at which alcohol can be consumed. For many decades this was twenty-one. Conscription and the Vietnam war brought a rebellion by young people. If it was legal to conscript eighteen year olds and send them to war - then why was an eighteen year old considered to be too young and immature to be allowed to drink alcohol or vote for the government of their choice ? The age for both was reduced to eighteen !
Prohibition is not restricted to alcohol. The governments of the states prohibit the possession or use of various drugs including marijuana, cocaine and heroin.
These laws are not uniform and in the case of marijuana the penalties vary from a virtual slap on the wrist to a hefty term of imprisonment.
Few would deny that alcohol has become a scourge of the Aboriginal community and the source of much violence and misery - and yet once again the innocent are being punished along with the guilty.
Australians love their beer - and it is part of the lifestyle of many to enjoy a well earned beer after a hard days work. It seems that the powers that be are more and more intruding into our ranges of choice.
It is no longer legal or socially responsible to have a beer and drive a vehicle. We are increasingly being told when and where we can smoke a cigarette - which is still a perfectly legal product - and now whole communities in the Northern Territory will be " dry " by imposition of new laws.
Sadly - it seems that the concept of being responsible for our own actions is fast giving way to control by " big brother " !