The ban on the sale, production, and transportation of alcohol, ratified by Congress in January 1919, stimulated the emergence of the mafia and associated criminal tendencies. Subsequently, it became clear that the prohibition of alcohol exacerbated economic problems and was one of the reasons for the fall of the economy in 1929. This paper aims to discuss whether the illegalization of alcohol ultimately improved or hurt US society.
Alcohol was prohibited by the 18th Amendment passed into effect in 1920. The National Prohibition Act was then voted for to provide funds for the Amendment implementation. Illegalization defined the new age of the relationship between buyers and producers. Tens of thousands of underground ‘speakeasy’ saloons sprang across the country. Despite the expectations of the Amendment advocates, the prohibition resulted in a sharp decline in restaurant patrons and job losses due to the closure of legal saloons and manufactories. Remarkably, the law implementation cost $300 million and led to an $11 million loss in taxes (Scott 147). Finally, many bootleggers started to sell alcohol through pharmacies that allowed liquor prescriptions, as well as churches and synagogues that allowed wine for religious rituals. Adverse effects included home brewing, bribery for bootlegging, and the rise of crime.
The 18th Amendment was repealed by the 21st Amendment signed in 1933 after Franklin Roosevelt came to office. According to the new law, the alcohol regulation was handed to the state and local officials once and forever. The President also supported a Bill that allowed 3.2% beer and light wines (Scott 148). Alternative ways of solving the problem of organized crime and corruption could have included the introduction of excises and a more intense fight against the mafia. Notably, the government could restrict alcohol sales to levels recommended by doctors. Another option could have been to limit the sale of alcohol at night, in supermarkets, or ban the sale of spirits without a special license.
Thus, it was discussed, how the illegalization of alcohol impacted US society. The prohibition of sales, manufacturing, and transportation of alcohol had multiple adverse effects, such as organized crime and economic decline. The production and sales network was eventually dominated by the mafia and growth of its power. The alcohol ban resulted in job losses and was generally a bad idea that the federal government subsequently abandoned.
Work Cited
Scott, B. C. (2020). A thousand thirsty beaches: Smuggling alcohol from Cuba to the South during Prohibition, by Lisa Lindquist Dorr. New West Indian Guide/Nieuwe West-Indische Gids, 94(1-2), 147-148.