Prohibition of alcohol didn’t work, we know that because on December 5th 1933, Congress officially adopted the 21st Amendment to the Constitution, repealing it. Prohibition was officially a failure. The Temperance movement started it all, a group of farmers armed only with a sense of superiority staged an attack on everything they found evil. They combated crimes such as domestic violence, child abuse, and the rising rate of alcohol dependence. The members of the temperance movement saw alcohol as the cause for any and all evils in American history, a giant leap in thinking from a cause and effect standpoint.  These mostly noble causes weren’t just for the alcohol imbibing citizens of America, instead the temperance movement intended on delivering this forced abstinence to the entire world. At the start of Prohibition, alcohol consumption dropped off slightly leading people to believe it was working when it wasn’t. Alcohol quickly regained its ever-growing momentum as one of the most destructive poisons available. We have learned that it is a very short walk from outlawing a substance to the increase of crime and a cycle of incarceration, and alcohol prohibition is an outline for such processes. When alcohol became a crime, regular citizens became criminals. The cycle started with regular people and ended up with those regular people in jails, convicted by shady law enforcement officials running the same game as everyone else. The public lost faith in their government and in it’s ability to solve the rising problem of crime.

Another problem with Prohibition is the enforcement, still a point of tension in the current marijuana debate. In 1921 a book was written by one of our most forward thinkers, Albert Einstein where he stated “The Prestige of government has undoubtedly been lowered considerably by the prohibition law.For nothing is more destructive for respect of the government and the law than passing laws which cannot be enforced.It is an open secret that the dangerous increase in crime in this country is closely connected with this.” With Alcohol, lacking ample law enforcement to execute the laws of prohibition there was just simply not enough people and the desire for alcohol was just too great.

Gangs of organized criminals quickly filled in the missing pieces of the puzzle, allowing anyone who wanted to drink to do just that. They supplied alcohol brewed in basements and across borders. The alcohol, left unchecked by the government was often unsafe to drink and much too high in alcohol content because the higher the potency, the higher the profit. The underground economy of alcohol that existed in the Prohibition era is easily seen today, in the marijuana trade. Where there is DEMAND, there is money to be made. Where it is illegal, there is money to be made by people who will commit illegal acts in order to make money. In short, the worst of the worst. Illegal trafikking rose quickly, lining the pockets of politicians, law enforcement and criminals alike. In 1927 alone there were almost 100,000 illegal home brew operations in existence. Prior to Prohibition, there was only 15,000 saloons in the entire country. Turning normal citizen into criminals, filling our jails with people who would otherwise remain law abiding citizen. With access to alcohol gaining, instead of slowing, many states simply gave up the fight. In 1925, six states had enacted laws that prevented their police force from even investigating infractions of the Prohibition. There simply wasn’t a way to handle the overwhelming amount of violations, the public was simply ignoring the laws and finding their own way. By the time Prohibition was repealed, there were more brewing operations than ever before and alcohol dependence had risen to staggering heights. Despite the legal issues, Americans wanted their booze and they were intent on getting it. While the facts clearly show that Alcohol is a dangerous substance and can play a part in terrible crimes towards many people, Prohibition is not the answer to the continuing question of personal choice. Call me a cynic, but creating an underground economy where criminals can thrive, is not the answer to solving crime.

What do you think about Prohibition?

© 2009 – 2010, AntiSoccermom. All rights reserved to the original author unless stated otherwise.

Related posts:

1. If Prohibition is your answer, You are asking some very stupid questions.
2. Obama’s Nod to Patients Not Good Enough.
3. 5 Reasons Why Marijuana and ALL Drugs should be Legalized
4. Memorandum for Selected United State Attorneys
5. 5 Things you need to know about your Caregiver