of vice and men
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Essay on "Of vice and men"
In this rather witty and light-toned but nonetheless quite comprehensive article, columnist David Aaronovitch tackles two seemingly very different issues: smoking and prostitution. At first sight, it is rather difficult to grasp the link between those two preoccupations. However, the author's aim in bringing them together is to exemplify his main problematic: "How far should we use the law against individuals to achieve society's changing goals? What should we ban and what should we regulate?". His answer is rather clear as he states quite firmly that "regulation is almost always better than banning". I tend to agree with this conclusion. Thus, I'll try to explain why I prefer regulation over prohibition and to see what kind of regulation would be possible and desirable.
Prostitution in itself is not illegal in Great Britain but it is criminalised by about 35 offences such as "living off immoral earnings" or soliciting. The present law -or even worse the possible ban on prostitution- doesn't stop prostitution but by making it illegal it prevents any kind of check or control...