Prohibition was and still is employed by several governments as a way to curb alcoholism and to impose some sort of order. With alcoholism showing an exponential increase in the last few decades, it is fast turning into a crisis. With organizations such as SAMHSA reporting a sharp increase in underage alcoholics, governments are considering imposing stronger restrictions including asking customers to validate their age with additional proof. But despite the fact that prohibition was a dud in the past, several governments world over had imposed prohibition over certain zones in an order to curb underage drinking. But as in the past, the move proved to be more detrimental which is why we need to take a closer look at some of the negative effects of prohibition.
- Squeak easy: One of the effects of prohibition in the past as well as now was the rapid growth of illegal joints propping all over the place. And since these establishments are illegal, there is little to no restriction and various studies had indicated that it is more detrimental to allow such illegal establishments to function as it will affect the society at large. One of the reasons why prohibition was finally removed in the US had more to do with bootlegging and illicit liquor than anything else.
- Illicit liquor: While the law enforcement agencies can prevent companies from transporting alcohol to zones where prohibition was in force, this, unfortunately, led to bootlegging and to alcoholics opting for moonshine to get their high. The problem is that illicit liquor like moonshine and others are manufactured under less than ideal conditions, with the end result being that several of those who consumed the same got extremely sick with cases of blindness and even fatalities being reported in.
- Alcoholism: With their main supply being capped, most alcoholics would do just about anything to get their next high. If this includes drinking illicit liquor, then chances are high that they would do the same. As a result, any prohibition drive often led to several standalone establishments manufacturing illicit liquor with the expected consequences – form chronic liver disease, blindness to sudden fatalities.
- Crime: It was found that prohibition often led to a spurt in crime as most criminals started smuggling liquor into prohibition zones. The differences between Chicago where prohibition was in force during the 1920’S and today, where prohibition is in force at several countries’, the differences are not that much. In fact, you would be hard pressed to make out the differences; the same business model is being used as liquor is smuggled in and with the expected fatalities.
These are some of the negative effects of prohibition so the next time your government wants to either impose a city or state ban on alcohol, you may want to get them to reconsider the same given these negative effects. This is why it is essential for you to review these negative effects carefully; one of the most effective ways of preventing alcoholism is by ensuring that the youth are well informed about the dangers of the same.