The 18th amendment of the United States that established the

prohibition of alcohol took effect on January 17, 1920. The temperance

movement that preceded the 18th amendment had people believing
that prohibiting alcohol would bring about the end to most, if not all,
the ill-effects of society. Crime and disorderly conduct would go down,
health would improve, families would be more harmonious, and the
economy would thrive. Some were so convinced of these theoretical
benefits that many of the effects of the prohibition came as a shock.
In Carla Dues interview, she mentions that the Prohibition made
alcohol a thrill-seeking activity. People would drink more alcohol than
prior to the prohibition as a way to rebel against the government. This
was not confined to the youth; people of all ages were indulging in the
alcohol scene. While the main bars and breweries were shut down,
many speakeasies sprang up from the ashes and provided similar, yet
much more popular, services. In many ways, alcohol was easier to get
a hold of in the twenties because the culture of disobedience and
defiance made it socially acceptable to seek out the alcohol sellers.
Gangsters like Al Capone made a fortune off of the illicit selling of
alcohol, leading to a spike in crime. While most people during the
temperance movement believed that banning alcohol would lead to
less crime, the results were precisely the opposite: jails were filled up
with gang members, alcohol consumers and brewers, and those guilty
of unruly conduct. There was a spike in poverty as well as the disparity
of wealth with Al Capone making sixty million dollars a year and the
average American only earning one thousand a year. The bootleg
industry hurt the crime rate, led to political double-dealing, and
weakened the economy. People were unemployed, the government
was not making money off tax revenue, families were being torn apart
because parents would drink at home instead of at saloons or bars, and
violence was at an all time high. The impact that the prohibition had on
the United States had the reverse effect of what was supposed to
happen. In the long run though, some positives did seem to come out
of it.
As the prohibition went along, fewer and fewer people were
drinking alcohol. It seemed that the prohibition was a culture shock
that seemed to die down a little bit as time went by. While the
prohibition led to many economic, political, and legal issues, people as
a whole were in fact healthier. On December 5, 1933, when the
prohibition act was rescinded, deaths related to alcohol were at the
lowest point they had been in the last fifty years. More people were
living longer and healthier lives because of the ban on alcohol. Of
course, while many people stopped drinking alcohol, there were also
more alcoholics than ever before. The prohibition did provide

Americans with a newfound recognition of morality, and gave

Americans a needed dose of experience.