Drugs are in fact banned for the public good (ostensibly).
And why aren't gambling advertisements "part of a free society"?
I'm all for being skeptical of the government and its (ab)use of power, but I must admit I struggle to find a good excuse to not ban gambling past "people should be allowed to ruin their own lives".
I'm personally leaning towards gambling ban, but I can give a few excuses not to:
* Gambling won't disappear completely, but will move underground (creating mafias), or at least people will gamble online illegally (depriving country of tax revenue)
* Not every gambling leads to ruin, just like alcohol drinking is not always alcoholism. At policing the way people have fun is indeed a complex issue.
* There are forms of gambling that can't be regulated easily. One (unfortunately) form of gambling common recently is making insane bets in the stock market (see WallStreetBets subreddit, for example). It's even tax advantaged, compared to regular gambling.
* Making gambling illegal may make it harder for gambling addicts to find the help they need.
Opiates and amphetamines seem like they obviously have a different risk profile (and resultant societal impact) than nicotine or caffeine.
Somewhat off topic, but I’ve always wondered if alcohol would still be legal if it wasn’t grandfathered in by, like, every single culture ever.
And why aren't gambling advertisements "part of a free society"?
I'm all for being skeptical of the government and its (ab)use of power, but I must admit I struggle to find a good excuse to not ban gambling past "people should be allowed to ruin their own lives".