3 ms·
Banning products that a sub-population of people are effectively addicted to has a long, multi-instance history of not working and instead contributing to crime
by lemmsjid 7y ago
Banning products that a sub-population of people are effectively addicted to has a long, multi-instance history of not working and instead contributing to crime (see various drug prohibitions). A product being banned can actually be a form of advertising (or at least production of demand) by suggesting it is risky, cool, or potent in some way.
On the other hand, banning advertising for a category of products, or restricting the advertising to fact-based, or forcing risk factor inclusion, can help produce or accelerate cultural shifts that reduce the demand for the product.
- tus88 7y agoBanning the sale of != banning the thing itself. If the goal was a massive reduction, not total elimination, I think it would work. Would many people really go to the black market to get sugary Coke when the supermarket has shelves of Diet Coke available?
- lemmsjid 7y agoAh, I see what you're saying, thanks!