How Did Prohibition Affect Society

Prohibition was the nationwide outlaw of sale, production, importation, and transportation of alcohol. The purpose of prohibition was to improve the lives of Americans, and to protect individuals, families and society from the effects of alcohol. Alcohol abuse destroyed the lives of many, especially in a time when women were dependent on men for support. The Temperance movement was the country's first anti-alcohol movement, the movement campaigned against alcohol use. It was rooted in religious objections to consuming alcohol and the belief that society would benefit if alcohol was unavailable. The two major groups who battled to outlaw alcohol were the Woman's Christian Temperance Movement and The Anti-Saloon League. In January 1929, Prohibition was put into law by passing the Eighteenth Amendment to the

Unregulated alcohol had a negative effect on public health. Prohibition did not improve hygiene in America as anticipated. Bootleggers made millions of gallons of “bathtub gin” and rotgut moonshine. The alcohol had a foul taste but people drank even with the risk of being poisoned or becoming blind. As trade in illegal alcohol increased, the quality of the alcohol decreased. The illegal alcohol often contained fuels and medical supplies. As a result the government had to add more toxic chemicals to industrial alcohol to make it undrinkable, putting people who drank it in even more danger. On average 1,000 Americans died every year during the Prohibition from the effects of drinking tainted liquor. An estimated total of over 10,000 people died during the prohibition era from directly alcohol or related causes. Although it was unknown at the time moderate drinking can be beneficial to one's health, because alcohol was made illegal americans were unable to receive the benefits. Concluding