Long Term Effects Of Prohibition Essay

Prohibition was not a noble experiment. Though well-intentioned, it was badly applied, and had many negative consequences. People suffered in many ways due to its unforeseen effects- people lost their jobs, lost money, and many even died of alcohol poisoning from tainted products sold on the black market. Prohibition also overcrowded jails and clogged up our justice system with nonviolent offenders- ensuring that violent criminals’ cases wouldn’t be processed with the proper attention to detail and allowing some to walk free. The lasting effects of prohibition are all around today’s world, and its seen (for the most part) as well intentioned- but applied in the worst way.
In January of 1920, the eighteenth amendment went into effect, banning the sale and distribution of alcoholic products. The day before the ban was
As Americans searched for one last drink, “many bars and restaurants marked the demise of the demon drink by handing out free glasses of wine, brandy and whisky. Others saw one last opportunity to make a killing, charging an eye-watering ‘20 to 30 dollars for a bottle of champagne, or a dollar to two dollars for a drink of whisky’” (Guardian Article). While prohibition didn’t ban the consumption of alcoholic drinks, as that would have been impossible to enforce, the amendment banned the production, distribution, and transportation of alcohol within the United States. This made it impossible to legally buy or consume a drink, which was the culmination of years of advocacy from supporters of the measure. The temperance movement, which originated in the 1830s, aimed to eliminate the consumption of alcohol from society. It was led mostly by women, and temperance quickly became synonymous with the women’s rights movement of the time. By 1847, Maine (a Protestant stronghold) had