Essay, Research Paper: Prohibition 2

"Of the twentieth century s many attempts to improve society, prohibition is our nations most notorious failure." (Taggert, Edward 1) In fact, prohibition proved to be little more than a mere innconveiniance to people who drank.(Clark, Norman 3) Prohibition of alcohol caused more problems than it cured. The interdiction of alcohol use caused criminal activty, created dangerous products, and instituted a universal disrespect for the law.
Prohibition transformed average alcohol consuming people into criminals. It also made big business of the illegal distribution and production of alcoholic beverages. "Legitimate companies prospered [in the 1920 s] but not as much as business outside of the law." (Taggert 1) Prohibition s effect was not less drinking, but more drinking accompanied by other dangers such as crime. The banning of alcohol reached every level of our society. A huge failure of prohibition was that while alcohol was illegal, it was still being produced with no government guidelines or quality control.
"According to author Thomas Coffey, the death rate from poison liquor was appallingly high throughout the country. In 1925, the national death toll was appallingly high throughout the country. In 1925 the national death toll was 4,154 as compared to 1,064 in 1920. And an increasing number of deaths created a public relations
problem for the drys because they weren t exactly accidental Humorist Will Rogers remarked that governments used to murder by the bullet only. Now it s by the quart. There were few, if any, production standards if any during prohibition, and the potency and quality of products varied greatly, making it difficult to predict their effect. The production of moonshine during that period was undertaken by an army of amateurs and often could harm or kill the consumer. Those products were also likely to contain dangerous adulterants, a government requirement for industrial alcohol.
A number of observers of Prohibition noted that the potency of alcoholic products rose. Not only did producers and consumers switch to stronger alcoholic beverages (from beer to whiskey), but stronger forms of particular beverages, such as fortified wine, were produced. The typical beer, wine, or whiskey contained a higher percentage of alcohol by volume during Prohibition than it did before or after. Most estimates place the potency at 150% or higher than those produced either before or after Prohibition." (Thorton, Thomas 2) Not only did alcohol become more potent and dangerous, but alcohol consumers got more comfortable with their consumption and seemed to enjoy lawbreaking..
Many people viewed prohibition as reason to revolt. First, merchants in the production or sale of alcohol were jobless because of prohibition. These merchants felt that prohibition " was intended to repress the economic rejuvenation of the alcoholic beverages industry."( Kinzler, William 1) Second, prohibition created an environment in which breaking the law was enjoyable. "Congressman Thomas Spencer Crago of Pennsylvania had predicted that the attempt to enforce prohibition would breed a discontent and disrespect for law in this country beyond anything we have ever witnessed before. He was right. For many, openly defying prohibition was almost fun. Others only pretended to comply, sneaking liquor into their homes or slinking off to speakeasies, bars, where liquor was served illegally."(Cayton, Andrew 466) While not every one had the audacity to openly drink, people found ways around the laws at hand. "prohibition also led many people to drink more legitimate alcohol, such as patent medicines (which contained high concentrations of alcohol) and medicinal and sacramental alcohol. The amount of alcoholic liquors sold by physicians and hospitals doubled between 1923 and 1924, while medicinal alcohol, 95% pure, increased by 400% during the same time. This growth occurred despite rigorous new regulations." (Thorton 1)
Those People who created prohibition were sure that if in effect, it would instantly cure our society of all of its problems. One such minister declared "the reign of tears is over. The slums will soon only be a memory. We will turn our prisons into factories and our jails into storehouses and corncribs. Men will walk upright now. Women will smile and children will laugh. Hell will be forever for rent."(Cayton 466) It is ironic that prohibition, created to stomp out crime and other social deviation, actually created more of this than any of the drys would have ever dreamed. The drys also never foresaw the deaths due to dangerous products. One of the most disturbing aspects of prohibition was the uniformity in disregard for a constitutional amendment. The lessons of prohibition should be used to curb the current urge to ban alcohol.