National Prohibition in America

National Prohibition, brought about by the Eighteenth Amendment and

enforced through the Volstead Act, lasted for over ten years. Besides a

growing lack of public support for both Prohibition and temperance itself, the

outlaw of alcohol continued throughout the United States—at least in the law

books. In practice, however, National Prohibition was much less effective

than temperance and Prohibition leaders had hoped, in the end causing more

problems than it solved. Once started, Prohibition led to the rise in crime

during the twenties, the public health problems associated with bootleg liquor

and alcohol substitutes, the problems between religious, racial, and the

political rise in response to its presence.

Prohibition did enjoy some success. History revealed that alcohol

drinking did drop after the National Prohibition and the Volstead Act. This

lower on a national level was not all that much to the effect of recent

problems in specific areas or communities. Also, after this drop alcohol

drinking continued to rise through Prohibition to the point where it was

thought drinking would actually pass pre-Prohibition levels. The same was

true of alcohol related diseases while lowering, alcoholism and

alcohol-related illness climbed to new heights, all while Prohibition was still

in effect (Thornton, “Failure” 70–71). The initial ideas of Prohibition was

reversed.

Crime was a problem during Prohibition. Since demand does not generally

lower or at least not greatly alcohol continued to be traded even though laws

exist to stop those kind of problems. The black market increased the crime

rate related to the making and selling of alcohol. “Prohibition creates new

profit opportunities for both criminals and non-criminals,” especially for those

previously involved in criminal activities (Thornton, “Failure” 116–117).

During National Prohibition in the 1920’s and early 1930’s—crime rate

continued to raise as less and less people were willing to quit drinking or to

respect the ideas of prohibition, as shown by the raise in fines given for

Prohibition violations through its time. Crime quickly became “organized” for

the first time, running activities contrary to Prohibition on a never before seen

scale (Thornton, “Failure” 70). In fact, by the end of Prohibition, speakeasies

had actually outnumbered the saloons of pre-Prohibition years, spreading the

influence of alcohol over a much wider range (Thornton, “Failure” 72).

Alcohol prices rose greatly due to the troubles of making and selling a

prohibited substance especially among the working classes, to steal alcohol

or to steal other things which could then be sold to pay for alcohol.

Prohibition was first meant to stop the abuses thought to be from

alcohol, main problem was crime. As more and more people began to ignore