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Prohibition was tried before
Religious revivalist and early teetotaler groups like the American Temperance Society campaigned relentlessly against what they viewed as a nationwide scourge of drunkenness. -
Thousands of people died from drinking tainted liquor
Enterprising bootleggers produced millions of gallons of "bathtub gin" and rotgut moonshine during prohibition. The most deadly tinctures contained industrial alcohol originally made for use in fuels and medical supplies. -
World War l. helped turn the nation in favor of prohibition
The prohibition was not sealed by the time the United States entered World War l in 1917 but the conflict served as one of the last nails in the coffin of legalized alcohol -
It was not illegal to drink alcohol during the prohibition
The 18th century forbade the manufacturing, sale and transportation of intoxicating liquors. By law any wine, beer, or spirits Americans had stashed away in January 1920 were theirs to keep and enjoy in the privacy of their homes. -
Drug stores continued to sell alcohol as medicine
The Volstead Act included some expectations to the ban on distributing alcohol. Sacramental wine was still permitted for religious reasons. Drug stores were allowed to sell medicinal whiskey to treat things like toothaches or the flu. -
Some states refused to use Prohibition
Along with creating an army of federal agents the 18th amendment and the Volstead Act stipulated that individual states should enforce prohibition within their own borders. -
Winemakers and brewers found creative ways to stay afloat
Many small distilleries and breweries continued to operate in secret during prohibition the rest either had to shut their doors or find new uses for their facilities. -
The great depression helped fuel calls for a repeal
Americans were spending more money on black market booze. New York City boosted more than 30,000 speakeasies and Detroit's alcohol trade was second only the auto industry in it's contributes to the economy -
The prohibition continues in some parts of the country to this day
Even after the repeal of Prohibition, some states maintained a ban on alcohol within their own borders. Kansas and Oklahoma remained dry until 1948 and 1959, respectively, and Mississippi remained alcohol free until 1966 a full 33 years after the passage of the 21st Amendment. To this day, 10 states still contain counties where alcohol sales are prohibited outright. -
Drinking decreased during prohibition
The Roaring Twenties and The Prohibition era are often associated with unchecked use and abuse of alcohol yet the statistics tell a different tale. According to a study conducted by M.I.T. and Boston University economists in the early 1990s, alcohol consumption actually fell by as much as 70 percent during the early years of the “noble experiment.”