Qur'anic verses - Intoxicants:

It might be difficult to change a habit of intoxication that has a physical impact on the body. Therefore, the prohibition of intoxicants were introduced gradually to enable the people to adopt God's command with ease.

Stage I: God exhibits the contrast between what is good and bad:

They ask thee concerning wine and gambling. Say: "In them is great sin, and some profit, for men; but the sin is greater than the profit."
[Qur'an 2:219]

Stage II: God indicates the risk of intoxicants in a wider term that affect the individual's behaviour and its impact on the social fabric of the society:

Satan's plan is (but) to excite enmity and hatred between you, with intoxicants and gambling, and hinder you from the remembrance of God, and from prayer: will ye not then abstain?
[Qur'an 5:91]

Stage III: God rejects the prayer when mind is not fully conscious. This is a step closer to complete prohibition of all intoxicants:

O ye who believe! Approach not prayers with a mind befogged, until ye can understand all that ye say,-
[Qur'an 4:43]

By this kind and gradual approach, the prohibition of all intoxicants were adopted during the life time of God's Messenger.

The dangers and tragedies of intoxicants are too obvious to need elaborating. Many lives are being lost every day in this account. Many families break up because of this menace. Many billions of dollars are swallowed in wasteful industries and desperate commercials to promote intoxicants.