The new HBO series, Boardwalk Empire, is as accurate a depiction of the follies of prohibition as you’ll read in any book.
But for the non-MTV generation of those among us, here’s a direct quote from Marijuana by William Goodwin:
[ Drug Education Library, (58-59) Copyright 2002 Lucent Books. ISBN:1-56006-916-3 ]
Today alcohol prohibition is generally viewed as a total failure. Prohibition not only failed to prevent alcohol consumption, but making the alcohol business illegal put it in control of criminals who used increasingly violent means to control the market. Alcohol prohibition created a huge illegal business with extensive smuggling and secret domestic manufacturing operations. Illegality increased the prices of alcohol and the huge profits that resulted made alcohol smugglers and dealers very wealthy. The dealers and smugglers, in turn, commonly used their riches to bribe police and government officials into ignoring their illegal activities.
Alcohol prohibition pales in comparison to the failure that is Marijuana prohibition. (Actually cannabis. Marijuana is a made up pejorative term used to demonize cannabis, promote racism, and incite fear.)
