The Failure Of Prohibition In The 1920's

The 1920s are marked in modern times as a time of restriction and luxury. The 18th Amendment was passed in 1919 that prohibited the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol. Though, the amendment failed to outlaw the consumption of alcohol. The 18th amendment was also the only amendment passed that ever limited a United States citizen the right to do anything and was also eventually repealed after public opinion on prohibition turned. Originally, the public supported prohibition during the Great War because Americans wanted to support our troops abroad. During the “roaring twenties”, the American public experienced a mass economic boom that resulted in a social change in the newest generations mindset. The 20s also brought sensationalism

The loopholes in Prohibition legislation allowed physicians and pharmacies to distribute alcohol on a prescription basis. The practice of prescription liquor allowed violators a legal avenue to obtain otherwise illegal alcohol. The only restriction doctors faced was obtaining “licenses to dispense liquor” (191). Ultimately, the prescription allowed doctors to gain an extended profit on alcohol purchases and provided minimal effort to achieve it. As a result, many historians call prohibition an “experiment” rather than a reform. Historians claimed prohibition as an “experiment” based on the facts that it was not successful in completely halting the consumption and production of alcohol. The first Prohibition legislation came during WWI, under the guise of “war legislation” (202). The 18th amendment was designed to restrict the “production and sale of alcoholic beverages” but did not explicitly “prohibit… the possession or drinking of alcoholic beverages” (202). The failure to use explicit language in legislation led to many loopholes for common people and criminals to take advantage