Prohibitionism

Prohibitionism is a legal philosophy and political theory often used in lobbying which holds that citizens will abstain from actions if the actions are typed as unlawful (i.e. prohibited) and the prohibitions are enforced by law enforcement. This philosophy has been the basis for many acts of statutory law throughout history, most notably when a large group of a given population disapproves of and/or feels threatened by an activity in which a smaller group of that population engages, and seeks to render that activity legally prohibited.

Acts of prohibition have included prohibitions on types of clothing (and prohibitions on lack of clothing), prohibitions on gambling and exotic dancing, the prohibition of drugs (for example, alcohol prohibition and cannabis prohibition), prohibitions on tobacco smoking, and gun prohibition. Indeed, the period of Prohibition in the United States between 1920 and 1933 due to the Eighteenth Amendment and the Volstead Act often is referred to simply as "Prohibition", as is the "War on Drugs" that succeeded it.
An additional example, called nettle war: Since 2002 in France the sale of nettle liquid manure was prohibited, and since 2006, unauthorized plant protection products (such as nettle liquid manure) to sell, own and operate. Even advertising and recommendations for these products were not allowed. Only since 2011, it was legalized again. The film by Arte about it was completed in 2010 (Nettle-war, mysterious plants - Nettle, 42:04 minutes)

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