Criminalization works, even without sniffing dogs and modern surveillance, when the crime is also a sin. See Islam. To this day I know no relative or close friend of mine who ever drank any alcohol, nor one which used any drugs.
But ofc this is the unthinkable for West. Downvote, pass.
Unfortunately you are wrong. A single example of a Muslim in a non-muslim society with non-Islamic laws in the technological world says nothing (each of these factors have some effect). See 1400 years of Islamic history. Worked a thousand times better than the failed American Prohibition, and worked sustainably. Worked even in the places without an active government, not to mention the amount of control the governments had over individuals in the past was far lower due to lack of necessary technology.
As a Muslim myself, I’d never drink and use drugs even if I was the only person on Earth. Due to fear of God. Muslim people whom I know closely (family, friends) are of the same sentiment.
What does a Christian think will happen if he drinks in secret? For most sects, he is forgiven anyways because Christ. Atheists? Nothing. Muslims? There is accountability in the form of punishment in the afterlife.
If you think drug abuse isn't a problem in Muslim countries I invite you to go to Pakistan and talk to all the heroin addicts who will tell you straight to your face that the Prophet only forbade alcohol. I don't know why people downvoted pokerface_86 (maybe the abusive language) but he had a good rejoinder.
> To this day I know no relative or close friend of mine who ever drank any alcohol, nor one which used any drugs.
That's pretty normal for even some secular (non religious) Americans of European ancestry and their friend groups, I (as one) observe. We were far more interested in sports so that booze would be an interruption in ... sports, for example. I do not know how common that is.
> But ofc this is the unthinkable for West.
No, it's not. (See above.) The thing is that "westerners" that match your friend groups definitely exist with their own matching westerner friend groups, which i guess is a happy surprise. it might be we're not obvious though, to your point.
Forcing people into your religion is highly unethical in my moral framework. Even though it's criminalized here in the west we still see people finding ways to do it.
But ofc this is the unthinkable for West. Downvote, pass.