The Negative Consequences of the Prohibition of Alcohol

The Prohibition of Alcohol
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The Prohibition of Alcohol
The 1920s marked a significant period for the American society as it experimented on a ban on alcohol. The Prohibition that came into effect after the passing of the 18th Amendment in 1919 would last for fourteen years. The ban on the sale, transportation, and manufacture of alcohol came into effect after the efforts of several prohibition movements that considered it a threat to the progress of the nation. The efforts of the different groups that were against alcohol consumption bore fruits when the 18th Amendment was passed by Congressn in 1919. However, as it turned out, it became difficult to enforce the Prohibition. The negative consequences of the prohibition such as reduced taxation, unemployment, and increased crime rates led to the passing of the 21st Amendment that repealed the ban.
The efforts prohibition movements played a key role in the ratification of the 18th Amendment that aimed at prohibiting the sale, manufacture, or transportation of alcohol (Okrent, 2010). These Prohibition movements that sprung up in the 19th century sought to prohibit the consumption of alcohol as they considered it a “national curse”. In 1846, Maine became the first state to ratify Prohibition law and other states followed suit (History, n.d.). The call for the abolition of alcohol sale was pioneered by groups such as Women’s Christian Temperance Union (WCTU) and Anti-Saloon League (ASL). A renewed call for alcohol ban at the state level was championed by ASL through speeches, public demonstrations, and advertisements. According to the advocates of the prohibition movements, a ban on alcohol would eliminate poverty and reduce crime rates as...