> Alcohol never had a history of use that was even remotely close to this Are you kidding? People used to get drunk and riot all the time in major American and

> Alcohol never had a history of use that was even remotely close to this Are you kidding? People used to get drunk and riot all the time in major American and European cities. Have you ever read about the gin craze? What is banned is certainly affected by the sensationalistic stories and the perceived scariness of it. But IMO the actual result of what does get banned has more to do with the cultural status quo, in group power and out group xenophobia. The repeal of alcohol prohabition is good evidence of this. Alcohol was traditionally accepted in Western culture for one. It's use was widespread and sometimes even seen as a "right of a passage" among the enfranchised class. America tolerated all kinds of other policy which lead to violence before, during and since prohibition. What got it repealed was that FDR and a lot of other politicians liked to drink. A lot of their voters liked to drink. They saw it as American to drink. They came from an alcohol tradition. Tobacco and caffeine are both intertwined with American middle and upper class identity, especially in the mid 20th century when these bans are really coming down. And of course, they weren't banned. Psychedelics may have been used by in-group white kids but they were banned before their use could become wide enough to integrate them to the culture. Native support didn't matter because they are such a tiny population and so thuroughly locked out of power.