We live in a world in which it is easier to collect 'sin taxes' than to tax the rich. The wealthy have resources to fight any attempt to collect a fair, let al

We live in a world in which it is easier to collect 'sin taxes' than to tax the rich. The wealthy have resources to fight any attempt to collect a fair, let alone progressive, share of their earnings. And yet, it might be rational in terms of social utility to increase the cost of acquiring alcohol. We face a challenge if we want to balance fairness and utility. The optimal policy surely includes measures which go beyond making psychotropic substances harder to aquire, but I don't know what the answer is. We could spend money on therapy, but would it really pay for itself?