Alcohol Should Be Banned

Unfortunately, my opponent fails to understand the full ramifications of banning Alcohol and seems to view the subject in a very narrow frame of mind. One must remember that, in broadening the scope used to view alcohol, it is not merely a drink that is sometimes abused, but rather a very important and useful substance which when used correctly, can in fact save lives. I. Alcohol as a pain reliever At some point in our lives, it can be said that a majority of us have seen one or several war films. Whether a documentary, a Hollywood blockbuster, or a memoir-turned-film. More often than not, if the movie captures an older war such as the Revolutionary War, or perhaps even the Civil War - there is always that one scene that no-one can ever forget: The medical tent. No matter what movie it is, we are always subjected to that wonderful bloody mess they called a medical bay. You'll see the guy who is being told that his leg needs to get removed, followed by his fellow soldier handing him a bottle of whiskey or rum to chug quickly before the doctor takes the saw to the leg. But why? Why is it that they always seem to show the wounded soldier chugging some Alcohol before going under the knife? Whiskey was commonly used during the Civil war as a painkiller. Whiskey is a form of Alcohol. Therefore, alcohol was indeed playing the role of painkiller in times of war. Furthermore, whiskey was also a commonly applied anaesthetic for toothaches. A tradition also used by mothers who have babies that are teething or can't fall asleep - a dash of whiskey in the milk or on the gum line. Source: . http://www.katebridges.com...& . http://en.wikipedia.org...One cannot deny the important role alcohol played on the battlefield in times of war and emergency. One also can't deny the countless lives of soldiers that were spared from certain sufferings by being given alcohol in such times. This brings me to my next point:II. Alcohol fights off Infection Have you ever heard of Rubbing Alcohol? It is also known as a Surgical Spirit and is one of the most commonly used and easy to apply anti-infection agents known to mankind. It would not surprise me in the least if a majority of individuals in the audience didn't have rubbing alcohol applied to a few cuts or scratches during their lives. I sure have, and even have a bottle of rubbing alcohol in my bathroom drawer now. The inception or history of its use as an anti-infection agent should be evidence enough of the healing properties that can be attained from the proper use of alcohol. One must never forget that such applications are necessary for the success rates of operations in countries that still do not have access to first-world machinery or technology like many modern first-world countries. Banning alcohol would not only jeopardize the lives of countless individuals who are currently or would be fighting infections without access to proper medical treatment but it would also hinder the ability of those doctors to improve the quality of life for such individuals who would otherwise be treatable had alcohol been around to fight off the initial infection. For some basic information on Rubbing Alcohol please visit this link: . http://en.wikipedia.org...III. Education Ultimately, what I have listed above are nothing but mere shadows of the overall beneficial applications that can be gained from having Alcohol in our world. My opponent has failed to see that: By taking one negative aspect from one basic use of such a liquid substance is elementary at best and truly not a legitimate reason to completely ban such a beneficial substance. This is not to say that abuse of the substance known as alcohol is not an issue worthy of study, but in the grander scope of things, banning such a substance would do nothing more than hinder those who use its properties for good from continuing to do that good work. We must think about the hand-sanitizers, the cleaning products, the medical applications, the anti-infection properties, the pain relief properties, amongst countless other uses that, in fact, benefit our society as a whole and benefit countless other cultures and nations that use it for beneficial purposes. Lastly, I will say that if alcoholism is what truly motivated my opponent to start this topic - that such an issue really falls into the individualistic realm of responsibility. We cannot allow the mistakes of those whom have succumbed to the addiction of alcoholism to motivate such an extreme measure as an all-out ban on alcohol. Have we learned nothing from the past? Must we truly be victim to repeating the mistakes made in the past? There are many solutions available to alcoholics, and while the misuse of such a substance is unfortunate in all regards, it is not a viable reason to enact a full ban of such a substance - especially when the substance has such beneficial uses to all manners of medical practice. What we need to be doing, if my opponent truly believes such a singular issue requires such a harsh reaction, is to educate our young to understand the importance of moderation in all things - not just alcohol. Perhaps then, and only then, would we be able to correct the underlying issues that are currently eating away at our society. What I know, without a doubt, is that banning alcohol is not the solution needed for such issues.