--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Making prohibition work is like making…" description: "\"Making prohibition work is like making water run uphill; it's against nature.\" — Milton Friedman" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/216/milton-friedman-616_freedom_making-prohibition-work-is-like-making-w_1908238.png" --- # Making prohibition work is like making water run uphill… ![“Making prohibition work is like making water run uphill; it's against nature.” quote by Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/216/milton-friedman-616_freedom_making-prohibition-work-is-like-making-w_1908238.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/216/milton-friedman-616_freedom_making-prohibition-work-is-like-making-w_1908238.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/216/milton-friedman-616_freedom_making-prohibition-work-is-like-making-w_1908238.png) > “Making prohibition work is like making water run uphill; it's against nature.” [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Prohibition opposes natural human behavior, making it ineffective. **In simple terms:** Banning drinks defies nature. Key Takeaway Respect human tendencies. Themes policy freedom economics Mood critical analytical Type political philosophical When to use this quote - legislation - public health campaigns - market regulation Key Concepts libertarianism public health Questions to Reflect On - Is prohibition ever justified? - What alternatives reduce harm? A Different Perspective Some argue prohibition protects society. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Freedom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/freedom/) [Making Prohibition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-prohibition-2856689/) [Making Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/making-water-2436052/) [Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nature/) [Prohibition](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prohibition/) [Prohibition Work](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/prohibition-work-2324263/) [Running](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/running/) [Uphill Nature](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/uphill-nature-2856690/) [Water](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/water/) ## Related quotes > [Prohibition will work great injury to the cause of temperance. It is a species of intemperance within itself, for it goes beyond t he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abraham-lincoln/prohibition-will-work-great-injury-to-the-cause-of-temperance-it-is-a/) [Abraham Lincoln](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abraham-lincoln/) > [Aesop, that great man, saw his master making water as he walked. "What!" he said, "Must we void ourselves as we run?" Use our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-de-montaigne/aesop-that-great-man-saw-his-master-making-water-as-he-walked-what-he/) [Michel de Montaigne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-de-montaigne/) > [Prohibition is an attempted cure that makes matters worse - for both the addict and the rest of us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/prohibition-is-an-attempted-cure-that-makes-matters-worse-for-both/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [One role of prohibition is in making the drug market more lucrative.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/one-role-of-prohibition-is-in-making-the-drug-market-more-lucrative/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Drugs are a tragedy for addicts. But criminalizing their use converts that tragedy into a disaster for society, for users and non-users alike. Our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/drugs-are-a-tragedy-for-addicts-but-criminalizing-their-use-converts/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [If even a small fraction of the money we now spend on trying to enforce drug prohibition were devoted to treatment and drug rehabilitation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/if-even-a-small-fraction-of-the-money-we-now-spend-on-trying-to/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [I'd like to promote lots of things. I'd like to promote elimination of drug prohibition. I'd like to promote parental choice in education through…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/i-d-like-to-promote-lots-of-things-i-d-like-to-promote-elimination-of/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [There is no logical basis for the prohibition of marijuana. $7.7 billion is a lot of money, but that is one of the lesser…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/there-is-no-logical-basis-for-the-prohibition-of-marijuana-7-7/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [The major basis for my opposition to marijuana prohibition has not been how badly it's worked, the fact that it's produced much more harm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/the-major-basis-for-my-opposition-to-marijuana-prohibition-has-not/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [“Canned breakfast juices had first appeared during Prohibition, motivated by grape growers who could no longer sell their products as wine, and by orange…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-taubes/canned-breakfast-juices-had-first-appeared-during-prohibition/) [Gary Taubes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-taubes/) > [All I kin git out o' the Wickersham position on prohibition is that the distinguished jurist seems to feel that if we'd let 'em…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kin-hubbard/all-i-kin-git-out-o-the-wickersham-position-on-prohibition-is-that/) [Kin Hubbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kin-hubbard/) > [If you don't think drugs have done good things for us, then take all of your records, tapes and CD's and burn them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/if-you-don-t-think-drugs-have-done-good-things-for-us-then-take-all/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [Obviously, the state's responsibility should be to legislate rules for a well-ordered society. It has no right or duty to creep into the bedrooms…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/pierre-trudeau/obviously-the-state-s-responsibility-should-be-to-legislate-rules-for/) [Pierre Trudeau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/pierre-trudeau/) > [“And when Prohibition came along, Dr. Sharpe’s Shakti Tonic took off like a rocket, mostly due to its hefty eighteen percent alcohol content.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-o-donovan/and-when-prohibition-came-along-dr-sharpe-s-shakti-tonic-took-off/) [Donald O'Donovan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-o-donovan/) > [ \[As in the case of\] alcohol prohibition, illegality has driven organized crime, sent countless people to jail, and killed many thousands. Repression does not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-branson/as-in-the-case-of-alcohol-prohibition-illegality-has-driven-organized/) [Sam Branson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-branson/) ## More by Milton Friedman > [The government solution to a problem is usually as bad as the problem.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/the-government-solution-to-a-problem-is-usually-as-bad-as-the-problem/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [I believe the role that people like myself have played in the transformation of public opinion has been by persistently presenting a different point…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/i-believe-the-role-that-people-like-myself-have-played-in-the/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [To really understand something you've got to reduce it to its principles.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/to-really-understand-something-you-ve-got-to-reduce-it-to-its/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [It is a mark of how far we have gone on the road to serfdom that government allocation and rationing of oil is the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/it-is-a-mark-of-how-far-we-have-gone-on-the-road-to-serfdom-that/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Economic freedom is an essential requisite for political freedom. By enabling people to cooperate with one another without coercion or central direction, it reduces…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/economic-freedom-is-an-essential-requisite-for-political-freedom-by/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [“The people in one district can choose not to reelect their member of Congress, but that will not change the composition of the government…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/the-people-in-one-district-can-choose-not-to-reelect-their-member-of/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [When you have a time of crisis what happens depends on what ideas are floating around, and what ideas have been developed, and thought…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/when-you-have-a-time-of-crisis-what-happens-depends-on-what-ideas-are/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [The government doesn't have any money. The only power it has is to take from some and give to others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/the-government-doesn-t-have-any-money-the-only-power-it-has-is-to/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [What would the people who sold us goods do with the money? They'd get dollars. What would they do with the dollars? Eat them?!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/what-would-the-people-who-sold-us-goods-do-with-the-money-they-d-get/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [World trade depends on differences among countries, not similarities. Different countries are in different stages of development. It is appropriate for them to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/world-trade-depends-on-differences-among-countries-not-similarities/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Is there some society you know of that doesn't run on greed? You think Russia doesn't run on greed? You think China doesn't run…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/is-there-some-society-you-know-of-that-doesn-t-run-on-greed-you-think/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Well first of all, tell me, is there some society you know of that doesn't run on greed? You think Russia doesn't run on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/well-first-of-all-tell-me-is-there-some-society-you-know-of-that/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [I think almost every economist would agree that government gets itself in trouble when it tries to interfere with voluntary behavior.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/i-think-almost-every-economist-would-agree-that-government-gets/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [It is most attractive about the US to people and countries with wealth is that it can provide security, insurance really, against political instability.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/it-is-most-attractive-about-the-us-to-people-and-countries-with/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) > [Hong Kong is the bellwether. If the Chinese stick to their agreement to let Hong Kong go its own path, then China will also…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/milton-friedman/hong-kong-is-the-bellwether-if-the-chinese-stick-to-their-agreement/) [Milton Friedman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) [Explore all 444 Milton Friedman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/milton-friedman/) ## More Freedom quotes > [One is a painter because one wants so-called freedom; one doesn't want to go to the office every morning.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcel-duchamp/one-is-a-painter-because-one-wants-so-called-freedom-one-doesn-t-want/) [Marcel Duchamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcel-duchamp/) > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. 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