Prohibition is Destroying America

1547 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Impact of drugs in society

The war on drugs began with good intentions, but it is becoming clear that this battle is a failure. Not only do drug laws violate American’s freedoms, but they further complicate the lives of drug users. These laws have inadvertently been responsible for the deaths of thousands through bad drug deals and dirty drugs, which leads one to ask the question, “Is this a war on drugs or a war on drug users?” Body bags and HIV are becoming the most widely known side effects of drug prohibition. Contrary to what many may think, drug use will never be eliminated. Only through legalization and strict state-controlled regulations will the violent and deadly consequences of drug laws be controlled. By making these substances available, the drugs themselves will be safer and cheaper, government spending and prison population will decrease, and most importantly, Americans will be freer. In 1920, the federal government outlawed a substance they felt was destroying America, alcohol. Millions of Americans would shutter at the idea of not attending mid-week “happy hour” after a long day of work. But, the right to drink alcohol was stripped away from Americans by the federal government under the Volstead Act of 1920 (Behr). Over the next thirteen years, over $733 million, of today’s money, was spent putting Americans behind bars for minimal delinquencies, such as having a martini at a local speakeasy (Barbour). Since alcohol was no longer manufactured by trusted companies like Anheuser-Busch, it was now in the hands of black market racketeers, like Al Capone (Behr). Due to the diminishing availability of alcohol, more potent forms, like moonshine, became wildly popular and in New York in 1926, “bad liquor” claimed the lives of 750 people (Behr). ... ... middle of paper ... ...on. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc. 2000. Print. Barnett, Randy E. “The Harmful Side Effects of Drug Prohibition.” Utah Law Review 2009.1 (2009): 11-34. Academic Search Complete. Web. 22 Mar. 2012. Behr, Edward. Prohibition: Thirteen Years That Changed America. New York: Arcade Publishing, 1996. Print. Gerdes, Louise I., ed. At Issue: Legalizing Drugs. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc. 2001. Print. Miron, Jeffrey A. and Katherine Waldock. “The Budgetary Impact of Ending Drug Prohibition”. CATO Institute. CATO Institute, 27 Sept. 2010. Web. 22 Mar 2012. Rogers, Douglas. “The Fiasco of Prohibition.” Freeman: Ideas on Liberty 61.1 (2011): 25. MasterFILE Complete. Web. 22 Mar. 2012. United States. Dept. of Justice. Office of Justice. Bureau of Justice Statistics. Drug and Crime Facts. Bureau of Justice Statistics. Dept. of Justice, Mar. 2012. Web. 22 Mar. 2012.

Show More
Related

  • The Hopes and Realities of Prohibition

    806 Words  | 2 Pages

    One of the biggest controversies of the twentieth century is the eighteenth amendment. Mississippi was the first state to pass the bill of prohibition. From there on out the entire country followed in Mississippi’s lead in the crusade of prohibition. The eighteenth amendment was a law, which tried to reform and protect the American people against alcohol, as some called, “the devil’s advocate”. The outcome of prohibition was more negative than positive and reeked more havoc than good on the American society.

    Read More

  • Prohibition Synthesis Essay

    1504 Words  | 4 Pages

    In 1920, a leading Prohibitionist declared in Congress that “There is as much chance of repealing the Eighteenth Amendment as there is for a hummingbird to fly to the planet Mars with the Washington Monument tied to its tail.” 13 years later, after the outbreak of the Great Depression this is exactly what happened? However, the main reason lies not with the Depression itself; this was merely the catalyst for its repeal. The simple fact the prohibition did not achieve its aims was the main cause of the passing of the Twenty-first Amendment, bringing about other factors which pushed the anti-Prohibition movement forwards.

    Read More

  • The Backlash of Prohibition

    807 Words  | 2 Pages

    Although the temperance movement was concerned with the habitual drunk, its primary goal was total abstinence and the elimination of liquor. With the ratification of the 18th Amendment to the Constitution, the well-organized and powerful political organizations, utilizing no holds barred political tactics, successfully accomplished their goal. Prohibition became the law of the land on January 16, 1920; the manufacturing, importation, and sale of alcohol was no longer legal in the United States. Through prohibition, America embarked on what became labeled “the Nobel Experiment.” However, instead of having social redeeming values as ordained, prohibition had the opposite effect of its intended purpose, becoming a catastrophic failure.

    Read More

  • The Success and Failure of the Prohibition

    978 Words  | 2 Pages

    Okrent, Daniel. "Prohibition Life: Politics, Loopholes And Bathtub Gin." NPR. NPR, 2010. Web. Feb. 2014.

    Read More

  • Robert Trevino And Alan Richard's Attitudes Towards Drug Legalization Among Drug Users?

    1005 Words  | 3 Pages

    “The proponents of drug legalization argue that although drugs can cause health and social problems, these are not sufficient reasons for making them illegal”(Trevino & Richard, 2002, p.105). The other main question that drug users raise are that alcohol and cigarettes both cause extreme harm but they are legal! “A study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) reports that alcohol abuse and alcoholism generated about 60% of the estimated costs ($148 billion), while drug abuse and dependence accounted for the remaining 40% ($98 billion)”(Trevino & Richard, 2002, p.92). Statistics show that there are more issues with alcohol abuse than drug abuse, but drugs are considered much worse in our

    Read More

  • Did Prohibition Work: Did Prohibition Work?

    820 Words  | 2 Pages

    Prohibition is possibly one of the most memorable events in the history of the United States. The 18th Amendment and eventually the Volstead Act created the law that made it illegal to produce, sell and the transport of alcohol over .5%. Although to most it seemed like a good idea, prohibition promoted the likes of criminal entrepreneurs. Numerous government officials were apprehended in night-clubs and speakeasies but never punished. At the time prohibition was also separating the social classes and making issues for those less prominent in the community. Holes in the government’s plans were beginning to show through leading up to the 21st Amendment and the ratification of the 13th. Prohibition failed to limit consumption and was actually costing the US more than originally expected. However according to Dr. Jack Blocker’s article, “Alcohol Prohibition as a Public Health Innovation” the claim that prohibition failed is actually false and failed only because voters became blinded by priorities over the Great Depression. With the amount of money being made on the illegal sale of alcohol was consumption really limited, or did Americans see a chance to overcome poverty and ratify the Amendment.

    Read More

  • Prohibition was Ineffective

    1780 Words  | 4 Pages

    I have always taken an interest in the Roaring Twenties and that is why I decided to write my English term paper on an event that occurred

    Read More

  • The Prohibition Amendment

    1823 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Prohibition Amendment, which took effect on January 16, 1920, outlawed the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcohol in the United States and its territories, until its repeal on December 5, 1933. Today, Prohibition is often referred to as the “Noble Experiment” because it was created to reduce the adverse effects that alcohol had on families and society. Excessive consumption of alcohol, primarily by men, often resulted in domestic violence, poor work performance, and wasteful spending of wages on alcohol, which were needed to support families. Although the Prohibition Amendment did decrease alcohol-related consequences, ultimately this legislation should not have been enacted because it led to more organized crime and an increase of economic problems.

    Read More

  • Legalizing Marijuana Will Decreased Crime

    1426 Words  | 3 Pages

    However, legalization will be profitable to global economies in two ways. It will allow for money spent on drug law enforcement to be spent more wisely and will increase revenue. There have been escalating costs spent on the war against drugs and countless dollars spent on rehabilitation. Every year in the United States, ten billion dollars are spent on enforcing drug laws alone. Drug violators accounted for about forty percent of all criminals in federal prisons (Rosenthal 1996).

    Read More

  • Essay On The Prohibition Era

    1024 Words  | 3 Pages

    The 1920s were known as the ‘Roaring 20s’. It was a time of high life and elation. That was until Congress passed the 18th amendment on January 17, 1920. Until the termination of this amendment, many other issues grew due to the “no-alcohol rule.” This period in history is known as the Prohibition Era. Along with causing many Americans to rebel and become convicts of the law, this era caused brutal downfall of businesses, such as breweries and saloons. Prohibition also created a conflict between the state and federal government, which provoked an enforcement problem within the country and an increased crime rate. With all the distractions, several people didn’t realize that America was going to experience a drastic change.

    Read More

  • Drug Legalization

    918 Words  | 2 Pages

    Just say no? This is not exactly the philosophy that the vast majority of the United States population tends to follow. Drugs have become a routine aspect of everyday life in the United States. Neither a gigantic metropolis nor a minute town have gone without feeling the everlasting effects of drugs. Drug use has always posed a major dilemma for America to overcome. The banning of illegal drugs takes many back to the days of the Prohibition problems involving the banishment of alcohol. Prohibition obviously did not work in the 1920’s, and some modern day people feel that making drugs legal would solve the constantly rising drug problem. In his article Facing up to Drugs: Is Legalization the Solution?, Pete Hamill presents both sides of the argument very thoroughly. Using tremendous techniques in both writing and in major points, the author persuades the reader to give a great deal of consideration to the author’s belief that legalization is the answer to America’s drug problem.

    Read More

  • Persuasive Essay On Crime

    1099 Words  | 3 Pages

    In order to establish an effective and long-lasting drug policy, governments have to: tailor policy-making to the majority’s beliefs, clearly define the set of established laws, and strictly enforce it amongst the masses. A task that the federal government has failed to accomplish long-term, but states have strived

    Read More

  • Social Policy Research Project: How Goes The War On Drugs

    1349 Words  | 3 Pages

    “How Goes the ‘War on Drugs’?: An Assessment of U.S. Drug Problems and Policy.” PsycEXTRA Dataset, 2005, doi:10.1037/e504322006-001.

    Read More

  • Should Drugs Be Decriminalized?

    1650 Words  | 4 Pages

    Recreational drug use has been controversial for years. Government has deemed the use of certain drugs to be dangerous, addictive, costly, and fatal. Governmental agencies have passed laws to make drugs illegal and then have focused a great deal of attention and money trying to prohibit the use of these drugs, and many people support these sanctions because they view the illegality of drugs to be the main protection against the destruction of our society (Trebach, n.d.). Restricting behavior doesn’t generally stop people from engaging in that behavior; prohibition tends to result in people finding more creative ways to obtain and use drugs. However, just knowing that trying to control people’s behavior by criminalizing drug use does not work still leaves us looking for a solution, so what other options exist? This paper will discuss the pros and cons about one option: decriminalizing drugs.

    Read More

  • Illegal Drug Use, Illegal Prostitution, and Money Laundering

    2442 Words  | 5 Pages

    Warner, J. (2008). “U.S. Leads the World in Illegal Drug Use” Retrieved 10 May 2014 from: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-leads-the-world-in-illegal-drug-use/

    Read More

More about Prohibition is Destroying America

Open Document