What unintended consequences did the Prohibition cause?

A deadly riot in Portland in 1855 lead to the law's repeal. Now, Prohibition was being implemented on a national scale, and being enshrined in the Constitution no less. What followed was a litany of unintended consequences. This should have come as no surprise with a venture as experimental as Prohibition. read more

Prohibition led to many more unintended consequences because of the cat and mouse nature of Prohibition enforcement. While the Eighteenth Amendment prohibited the manufacture, sale and transportation of intoxicating beverages, it did not outlaw the possession or consumption of alcohol in the United States. read more

Child neglect increased during prohibition. The rise in organized crime and the accompanying corruption in law enforcement and political office was unprecedented. But perhaps the most obvious unintended consequence was that Prohibition had done nothing to reduce the consumption of alcohol. Americans were drinking more than ever. read more

While Prohibition did succeed in reducing alcohol consumption, it had two major unintended consequences. First, it contributed greatly to the rise of organized crime. Also, because enforcement was at best spotty, many people flouted the law, leading to a cultural decline in respect for law as such. read more

There were at least two major unintended consequences of Prohibition. Both, not surprisingly, were bad. First, and perhaps less importantly, Prohibition helped to reduce people’s respect for the law. Prohibition seemed to cause people to actually want to drink more. read more