Nachrichten.fr · May 23, 2026

When beer suddenly seems more dangerous than the mafia The small town of San Isidro in Argentina made headlines this week. The municipal government declared a ban on the sale of beer after a series of fights at local kiosks. The order was accompanied by a photograph that went around the world: municipal workers removing crates of beer from a shop window as if unloading contraband. The mayor justified the measure by invoking public order. It is striking how quickly a legal product — beer, consumed by hundreds of millions every day — can be framed as an imminent social danger. Political actors often use symbolic gestures to show they are doing something about a problem. Restricting beer sales is an easy and visible step that appeals to those who want action now. But symbolic politics rarely solve the underlying causes. Argentina is not alone. In many countries, alcohol is repeatedly singled out as the scapegoat for broader social ills: unemployment, lack of youth activities, weak law enforcement, and insufficient investment in public space. Banning sales or imposing curfews can reduce immediate tensions, but they do not replace long-term policies to improve social cohesion and economic prospects. The comparison with the mafia is revealing. That criminal world is usually associated with organized violence, extortion, and long-term damage to institutions. Beer, by contrast, is a regulated commodity whose misuse can indeed exacerbate problems, but which also plays an ordinary role in social life. Treating it as if it were akin to organized crime trivializes the real threats and risks misdirecting public resources. There is also a risk of stigma. Many small businesses depend on alcohol sales. Heavy-handed measures can harm livelihoods and push trade into informal channels, where neither labor rights nor public health protections apply. If the aim is to improve public safety, targeted policing, better conflict prevention in commercial areas, and social programs addressing root causes would be more effective than blanket bans. Symbolic acts have their place — they can catalyze debate and highlight issues. But policymakers must avoid easy moralizing. Calling beer more dangerous than the mafia may make headlines, but it does little to build safer, fairer communities.