Positive Effects Of Prohibition

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“On January 16, 1920, the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcohol were prohibited (“Prohibition”).” The Prohibition was supported by many.“… prohibition was led by the Anti-Saloon league and the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (“Prohibition”).” It was believed that alcohol was the root of many problems and with the elimination of it, these issues might decrease. According to Mark Thornton, “ …the ‘noble-experiment’ was undertaken to reduce crime and corruption, solve social problems, reduce tax burden created by prisons and poorhouses, and improve health and hygiene in America.” After the Prohibition was established it created a domino effect across the U.S. The prohibition was ineffective because the crime rates increased, people …show more content…

According to Tim Nash, “people turned more and more to criminal activity...” Being able to consume alcohol had become a normal thing for people, so when the government all of a sudden tells the people they can’t drink it, that didn’t sit well. The prohibition brought out the worst in many people. It made some people so desperate that if bribes didn’t work they would turn to violence and murder if need be to cover something up (Hanson). Many people have a rebellious side and when something is strictly forbidden it makes it that much more tempting, just like underage drinking now. The 18th amendment fueled organized crime in the 1920’s (Bourdreaux). This crime came about in many different …show more content…

Being able to keep a prison up and running isn’t cheap by any means. According to the article druglibrary, it costs around 20,000 dollars a year to take care of one prisoner. This includes maintenance and staffing as well, not just the person’s basic needs like food. In America, hundreds of people are sent to prison everyday. During the prohibition the incarceration rate skyrocketed. The total arrest in Philadelphia in 1919 was 75,618 people. In 1925, a few years after the prohibition started, the number jumped up to 137,263 people being arrested (“druglibrary”). Not all of those arrested were sent to prison, but a good many of them where. That means that more funding was needed to pay for the dramatically increased number of prisoners. Another source of money the government could be using to better our nation, instead they’re using it to try and enforce something that is almost

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