[TheSpottedOwl]

Maybe they need to study what happened during American prohibition.

[ruiner]

Yea right, what could the Europeans possible learn from us?

CoughCough-noappeasement/federalism/billofrights/abolishslavery/wincoldwar-CoughCough

EXCUSE ME!

[tjwmason]

Maybe they need to study what happened during American prohibition.

It's already happening. The European Union's one good point (one and only good point) is the free movement of goods throughout its area, this means that it is impossible to stop people bringing alcohol (and also tobacco) back from France (where the tax is far far lower). Revenues at pubs throughout the south of England are dropping sharply, pubs are a part of English heritage originating over 1000 years ago, and excessive alcohol taxation is killing them off. More tax merely means more importing from France, merely means that criminal gangs get involved; as you say, look at prohibition.