The Problems with Prohibition: Why Prohibition Was a Failure

Al Capone was one of the Prohibition Era’s most notorious gangsters.  He alone made 60 million dollars (Today that would be about two billion dollars) from alcohol sales every year of the Prohibition Era, which lasted 13 years.  He was suspected to have owned at least eleven distilleries and countless speakeasies.  This created a major problem for the Prohibition agents, since they could not shut down all of Capone’s speakeasies and distilleries.  Not to mention they were having a hard time getting enough evidence to convict him of bootlegging, but near the end of the Prohibition era, the agents got a lucky break.  They were able to nab him on charges of tax evasion in 1931.  Capone was sentenced to 11 years in prison.  After Capone’s reign had ended, organized crime declined, but another issue had just surfaced alternative drug use.

During Prohibition, many people turned to alternative drugs such as, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, because they could no longer drink alcohol.  These drugs caused more social, emotional, and criminal problems than alcohol ever had.  In addition, these drugs were much more addictive than alcohol.  In addition to these illicit drugs causing more problems, many citizens had developed a lack of respect for authority.

Many people ignored Prohibition and continued to drink alcohol.  This quickly became the norm.  As more people broke this law, it became fashionable and hip to break other laws as well.  Soon people regarded the law and its enforcers with disrespect.     

Prohibition was created to stop social problems, but instead it created many more new problems.  Also, it was the only amendment ever to be repealed in the nearly 230 years of the USA.  With all the evidence presented, it is safe to say that Prohibition was a complete failure.

Bibliography

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