Twenty people have already died in the last few weeks in the Czech Republic after drinking counterfeited spirits. This real social alarm led the Czech Ministry of Health to opt for the prohibitionist line, in order to fight against the phenomenon. Indeed, the government has banned sales of spirits containing more than 20% alcohol. A measure that, although justified by an emergency, risks not to solve the problem. For two simple reasons. First of all, because it  looks at the problem without investigating its causes, given that in this country – one with the highest rate in spirits consumption at a global level – controls on spirits quality are mild, if not totally absent. This is confirmed by the fact that many manufacturing companies, instead of using methanol for cooking use, resort to cheaper but more harmful – if not lethal for consumers’ health – ingredients (just like liquids used for cooling). In brief, as declared in  recent interview Jiri Pehe, consultant on health issues of former President Vaclav Havel, the main cause of a problem which could turn into a national epidemics must be found in the lack of regulations on spirits’ quality controls, and not in poor application of the existing ones. And that is not all. Looking at the measure strongly wanted by the Czech Health Minister, the government risks even to complicate the framework of an emergency already complex as such, thereby encouraging the proliferation of a black market of these products, unlikely to be controlled by definition, with heavy effects on economy and, obviously, on citizens’ health. A danger to ward off which risks, however, to come true very soon, as confirmed by the long and failing story of prohibitionism around the globe, especially in the US.