The Prohibition Of Intoxicating Substances - 1786 Words

The prohibition of intoxicating substances is an issue that Americans have wrestled with since 1920; when liquor’s status as an end-of-the-day treat became that of an illegal poison. The prohibition of alcohol was brought about by advances in the fields of medicine that revealed the various detrimental effects of overconsumption. During the 14-year period of time between 1920-1933, known as â€Å"Prohibition,† local illegal alcohol establishments, or â€Å"Speakeasies† exploded. A government commissioned report concluded, â€Å"the number of speakeasies throughout the United States ranged from 200,000 to 500,000,† (Lee, 68); meaning that the government’s goal to hamper the demand for alcohol was not effective. The alcohol-based boycott of the 30s and 40s is a good historical model of modern-day drug prohibition. Just like with alcohol during its tenure of illegality, the flow of drugs is not being stopped simply because of the laws and policies in p lace barring trafficking, sale, and consumption. Just like with alcohol during its’ prohibition years, a black market is thriving on sales of illegal substances, that in turn puts money in to the pockets of criminals. From the 1.5 billion dollars that the federal government allocated to combat drugs in 1985, the amount has risen to an unprecedented 17.7 billion in 2000 (Office of National Drug Control Policy). When you pair that statistic with the findings that the percentage of the population 12 years or older that consume drugs has risen fromShow MoreRelatedThe Consequences of Prohibition Essay580 Words   |  3 PagesThe Consequences of Prohibition On the midnight of 28th October 1919, importing, exporting, transporting, selling and manufacturing of intoxicating liquor came to a halt in America. Possessing substances above the 0.5% alcohol limit was illegal. This was Prohibition. This Eighteenth Amendment was meant to have reduced the consumption level, consequently to have reduced death rates, poverty and principally crime, in the USA. Yet this had quite the opposite effect. TheRead MoreLegalize Marijuana; Annotated Bibliography Essay1381 Words   |  6 PagesAnnotated Bibliography on the Legalization of Marijuana Marijuana is the most commonly used illegal substance in United States and in many other countries; this is a statement that seems to be in each article that is written about the legalization of marijuana. This is a subject that has been up for debate for quite a few years now. There are many people who support the legalization of this drug and are strongly convinced that marijuana is not a drug in which one should be punished for, but ratherRead MoreProhibition in America: The Rights of Individuals vs. the Responsibilities of a Nation 1612 Words   |  7 Pages PROHIBITION IN AMERICA The Rights of Individuals vs. the Responsibilities of a Nation â€Æ' The 18th Amendment to the United States Constitution prohibited the manufacture, sale, transport, import, or export of alcoholic beverages† . This historical, yet short era, known as â€Å"Prohibition†, set an example that is still referred to today. As people scrambled all around the country trying to illegally obtain alcohol, the country was once again in a state of chaos. As part of a Christian based temperanceRead More absolut Failure Essay1685 Words   |  7 PagesThe social changes during this period are reflected in the laws and regulations that were implemented. One of the most prominent examples of this was prohibition. The 18th Amendment to the Constitution, or the Volsted act as it is also know, was implemented to eliminate the use of alcohol in the United States. In doing this, the advocates of prohibition hoped to also eradicate the social problems associated with alcohol. â€Å"It was an attempt to promote Protestant middle-class culture as a means of im posingRead MoreThe Nightmare of Prohibition Essay1690 Words   |  7 Pages exporting, transporting, selling, and manufacturing of intoxicating liquor was put to an end. The Congress passed the Amendment on January 16,1919, but it only went into effect a year later. The Volstead Act was passed with the Eighteenth Amendment on October 23, 1919. The Act was named after Andrew Volstead, a Republican representative from Minnesota. The Volstead Act, also known as the National Prohibition Act, determined intoxicating liquor as anything having an alcoholic content of more thanRead MoreProhibition Essay1739 Words   |  7 Pages exporting, transporting, selling, and manufacturing of intoxicating liquor was put to an end. The Congress passed the Amendment on January 16,1919, but it only went into effect a year later. The Volstead Act was passed with the Eighteenth Amendment on October 23, 1919. The Act was named after Andrew Volstead, a Republican representative from Minnesota. The Volstea d Act, also known as the National Prohibition Act, determined intoxicating liquor as anything having an alcoholic content of more thanRead MoreUnintended Consequences of Prohibition1537 Words   |  7 Pages(1) Before the prohibition of alcohol existed in the United States people freely drank alcohol, mainly beer, some responsibly and some irresponsibly. The government was able to collect quite a substantial amount of tax revenue for the manufacture, transportation, sales, and consumption of alcohol. In the years leading up to the prohibition of alcohol the rates of serious crime and alcohol consumption were steadily dropping, they rose during the mid – latter years of prohibition. There were relativelyRead MoreThe Prohibition Of The Nineteenth Amendment1026 Words   |  5 PagesThe prohibition movement was highly successful in achieving government recognition of the eighteenth amendment yet failed to gain public support. The volstead act of 1919 allowed for the implementation of the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which established National Prohibition of alcoholic beverages and defined intoxicating drinks as â€Å"those with an alcohol content of 0.5 percent by volume of more. From This banned the manufacture, sale, transportation and importation of alcoholicRead MoreEssay on The Prohibition and NASCAR624 Words   |  3 Pagesperiod long gone. Located within the Westerville Ohio library, it houses important artifacts and memorabilia from the Prohibition era. At the height of its popularity, the league was a national organization which boasted branches across the United States.4. Along with various Christian organizations, the league was able to marshal resources that enabled it to bring the prohibition fight to congress and the senate. Tours and group presentations expose curious visitors to the inner workings of the leagueRead More Pro Legalization of Marijuana in the United States Essay1689 Words   |  7 Pagesof this drug. With this in mind, you can’t legislate the morality of a society when the society itself disagrees on what is actually considered moral. If pot was made a legal drug it would also greatly affect the crime rates in the U.S. Legal prohibition does not stop consumers from purchasing or using illegal drugs. By instituting a system of regulations on the drug, as with alcohol or prescription drugs, illegal drug prices would fall, leading to lower prices of the drug, therefore related crimes