“I disagree. Strong liquor isn’t in the hands of kids very easily because it is controlled....not illegal.”
Yes, control instead of outlawing is better on all fronts. An open, legal, low-tax market for adults takes away the insane profits from criminals (like the bootleggers) and takes them out of the business.
It also makes it pointless for a legitimate business to risk future profits by selling to kids. Drug dealers in an illegal market don’t care who their customers are and will sell to anyone.
“If you make everything a candy store and open it to everyone, then kids are more likely to enter the candy store. Beyond that, it’s a moral issue. We do NOT allow our kids to be intoxicated. That’s not what childhood should be about.”
Kids are even more likely to want something they can’t have and will pay someone of age to get it for them. Humans seem to be genetically wired to go against their elders’ wishes at a young age and try things out on their own. Make a button that says “don’t press” and 90% of people will. The “forbidden fruit” phenomenon is very real.
We need to do a better job instilling morality and knowledge in kids. However, laws do NOTHING in these cases besides making government and criminals richer. A real-world relate-able drug education program would cut drug abuse in half but I don’t think the powers that be truly want that...
Since Moses was a lawgiver, then that isn't supported by the Judeo-Christian tradition. Even when the law is not followed, it has us realize that we are lawbreakers. Paul says that the law is a schoolmaster to lead us to Christ.
However, he says that the law for government leads to fear of punishment for evil doers.
So, the biblical witness is fair solid. Law does matter and it does make a difference.
As to children automatically seeking out that which is denied them, that also has many examples that show it is not so. For example, the simple law of societal pressure kept unwed pregnancy to what in our day seem unimaginably low levels among our young.
Another example is the seat belt law. It is widely kept when it would be easily ignored. Why? It makes sense and it receives support as a rational practice. The social more of teen abstinence also made sense, but that is widely challenged by destructive liberal forces to the detriment of teens.
The same with drug/alcohol use by the young. When widely challenged by destructive liberal forces in the culture of this media rich environment, kids/teens are taught a message that injures them. Sadly