‘Prohibition’s successes outweighed its failures in the years 1920–33.’ How far do you agree with this view?
The prohibition era was the period in the US when the manufacture, sale and transportation of liquor were banned. To completely eliminate alcohol from society was always going to be an impossible task due to the limited amounts of prohibition officers and the easy manner in which illegal alcohol could be made and old, so in that aspect of its ambition it failed. However it was able to reduce alcoholism, and as a result of prohibition fewer arrests for drunkenness were recorded. With those thoughts in mind, it is important to remember that whist some positives came from Prohibition, the negatives that came from the policy were far greater and more significant, so therefore it becomes nigh on impossible to call it a success.
The Prohibition policy enforced by the USA, did not have the kind of success that the government had originally hoped for, however it was able to achieve some of its ambitions on a smaller scale. It is important to remember that the diversity of American society is reflected in the impact of Prohibition; rural areas often supported the ban on alcohol that was imposed by the 18th amendment and the Volstead act, and as a result these areas saw a marked decline in consumption. Such communities got used to a life with less alcohol, and even after Prohibition ended in 1933, consumption rates remained low, and only 50% of the original bars re-opened. Whilst other areas in the US did not see the same sought of effect, alcohol consumption rates did still decrease and there were less cases of alcohol abuse around the country with the average American making the shift from hard liquor to Beer and wine. These changes coincided, with significant drops in figures for road traffic accidents as well as arrests for drunkenness. The fact that prohibition was able to achieve a reduction in alcohol consumption rates was seen as a huge positive, as one of the main reasons prohibition was enforced in the first place, was to prevent alcohol hindering ones
The Prohibition policy enforced by the USA, did not have the kind of success that the government had originally hoped for, however it was able to achieve some of its ambitions on a smaller scale. It is important to remember that the diversity of American society is reflected in the impact of Prohibition; rural areas often supported the ban on alcohol that was imposed by the 18th amendment and the Volstead act, and as a result these areas saw a marked decline in consumption. Such communities got used to a life with less alcohol, and even after Prohibition ended in 1933, consumption rates remained low, and only 50% of the original bars re-opened. Whilst other areas in the US did not see the same sought of effect, alcohol consumption rates did still decrease and there were less cases of alcohol abuse around the country with the average American making the shift from hard liquor to Beer and wine. These changes coincided, with significant drops in figures for road traffic accidents as well as arrests for drunkenness. The fact that prohibition was able to achieve a reduction in alcohol consumption rates was seen as a huge positive, as one of the main reasons prohibition was enforced in the first place, was to prevent alcohol hindering ones