America’s experiment with the prohibition of alcohol lasted from 1920-1932. If it proved anything, it was that criminalization could not bring an end to the consumption of alcohol, but instead would push the entire industry underground. Once the trade was hidden from official supervision, the ability to regulate it for health and safety disappeared, too. The United States federal government exacerbated this public health crisis by adding chemicals to grain alcohol, ensuring that those who broke the law would pay with their health and, potentially, their lives.
The Deadly War of Prohibition
The Deadly War of Prohibition
The Deadly War of Prohibition
America’s experiment with the prohibition of alcohol lasted from 1920-1932. If it proved anything, it was that criminalization could not bring an end to the consumption of alcohol, but instead would push the entire industry underground. Once the trade was hidden from official supervision, the ability to regulate it for health and safety disappeared, too. The United States federal government exacerbated this public health crisis by adding chemicals to grain alcohol, ensuring that those who broke the law would pay with their health and, potentially, their lives.