The closing of alcohol breweries, distilleries and saloons led to the elimination of thousands of jobs,
leaving anyone with work related to the alcohol industry (such as barrel makers, truckers and
waiters) out of a job
Deaths related to dangerous alcohol consumption
Economic - $2,000 million went to gang members and bootleggers
What happened during the event
Health and alcohol cinsumption
American wine consumption
increased from 70 million gallons
in 1917 to 150 million gallons in
1925
Crime and corruption
With a decrease in alcohol
consumption came an
increase in organized crime
Between the years of 1927 and
1930 over 500 gangland murders
took place.
The Valentines day incident of 1929 was when
Capone's men killed 7 rival Moran gang members
Between the years of 1927 and 1930 over
500 gangland murders took place
The Valentines Day Incident of 1929 was
when Capone's men killed 7 rival Moran
gang members
Background of the event
Prior to Prohibition.....
Groups
The Anti Saloon League and the Women's
Christian Temperance Union were the main groups
lobbying for Prohibition
Argued alcohol damaging American society
Prohibition was thought to solve
America's binge drinking problems
“A great social and economic experiment, noble in motive
and far-reaching in purpose” - President Herbert Hoover 1928
WW1
Reasons surrounding WW1 contributed to a anti alcohol stance
WW1 set peoples beliefs against alcohol
with a new message
National mood was turned against drinking
alcohol through the use of propaganda
Drinking at this time was seen by some as morally wrong as
some argued that it was wrong for citizens to enjoy alcohol
while America’s young men were at war
Many US citizens also believed that the grain used to produce
alcohol should be going towards making bread to feed the
population
Consequences of the event
Economic
Loss of jobs
Instead of money going to the brewing industry
and bars the money went to the undesirable
bootleggers and gang members
An estimated $2,000 million was
lost to bootleggers and gang
members
Crime and corruption
Normal law abiding citizens broke the law
not just gang members
Prohibition did not just lead to deaths
related to binge drinking illegal alcohol
but also led to gang related deaths in
the illegal alcohol trade industry
Prohibition did not just lead to deaths related to binge
drinking illegal alcohol but also led to gang related deaths
in the illegal alcohol trade industry
The repeal
In 1929 the Wickersham Commission reported that Prohibition was not effective and as a result in
February of 1933 Congress passed the 21st Amendment repealing Prohibition
Health and alcohol consumption
Prohibition also fueled the
popularity of mixed drinks
Since soda served as both a substitute
and mixer for alcohol: Coca-Cola saw its
sales triple during Prohibition
Ultimately made America's binge
drinking problems worse