Prohibition Law Enforcement

Although the term prohibition can refer to a variety of legally banned activities including narcotics manufacture, sale, and possession, it is commonly understood to mean the period between 1920 and 1933 during which the Eighteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was in effect. Prohibition was intended to reduce the consumption of alcohol, seen by prohibition advocates as a major cause of crime, poverty, high death rates, a weakening economy, and declining quality of life. It is interesting to note, however, that the first state laws prohibiting the manufacture and sale of alcoholic beverages were enacted as early as 1838 in Tennessee and in 1846 in Maine. By 1900, 18 states had enacted prohibition laws and many states maintained laws banning the manufacture and sale of liquor after the repeal of the Eighteenth Amendment until 1959 when Oklahoma, the last dry state, repealed its prohibition laws. The terms wet and dry were commonly used to identify states and groups that were, respectively, in favor of or against prohibition.