Iron Law of Prohibition Term Analysis

The iron law of prohibition is the principle that, when a substance is made illegal, stronger and more dangerous versions of that substance inevitably take over the market. This is because it’s far more profitable for traffickers and dealers to sell more concentrated substances, which have a higher value by weight. For instance, during alcohol prohibition, it was always more profitable for traffickers to sell hard liquor than to sell beer. As a result, hard liquor was often the only alcohol available, and many beer-drinkers switched to it. The iron law continues to apply to drug prohibition today, as stronger drugs like fentanyl and crack displace weaker ones like heroin and cocaine—which originally took over from the far weaker coca teas and opiate cough syrups that were widely used and legally available in the early 1900s.