Alcohol is one of the most consumed drugs worldwide. Alcohol consumption dates back to the Neolithic period circa 10,000 BCE (Patrick 12-13 ) and is the oldest psychoactive drug. Alcohol consumption is tied to religious ceremony, social gatherings, and cultural events; drinking alcohol is even simply equated to fun. The popularity of alcohol can also be tied to a physiological reaction in the human body, “drinking alcohol induced opioid release in... areas of the brain implicated in reward valuation.”(Mitchell et al. 116). Perhaps these social and cultural endorsements, coupled with specific physiological responses, make addiction and abuse a common progression of consumption. The negative impact of alcohol is observable in both the mental, physical, and social health of individuals who consume it and in the effect it has on our justice system. It is this likelihood of addiction that presents a valid reason for an outright prohibition; over-consumption only serves to potentiate the negative effects of alcohol. Ethyl alcohol should be an illegal substance; the social, economic, and health effects of alcohol consumption are devastating.
For instance, the consumption of grain alcohol is linked to a variety of negative mental and physical health effects. According to Grønbæk alcohol consumption, even at low levels, causes euphoria and confusion with an increasing blood-alcohol level leading to coma and death, and with consistent consumption an increased risk of dementia. There is also a strong correlation between alcohol consumption and a variety of destructive physical diseases; these range from malnutrition to more serious conditions like liver cirrhosis, stroke, and a variety of cancers (Grønbæk 407-420). Alcohol abuse and exces...
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... U.S. $224 Billion in 2006." Centers For Disease Control And Prevention. N.p., 17 Oct. 2011. Web. 22 Feb. 2012.
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Hall, Wayne. "What Are the Policy Lessons of National Alcohol Prohibition in the United States, 1920–1933?"Addiction 105.7 (2010): 1164-1173. Web. 22 Feb. 2012.
Thornton, Mark. "Alcohol Prohibition Was a Failure." CATO Institute. N.p., 17 Jan. 1991. Web. 22 Feb. 2012.
Gusfield, Joseph R. "Introduction." Symbolic Crusade: Status Politics and the American Temperance Movement.University Of Illinois Press, 1986. 1. Web. 02 Mar. 2012.
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What were the unintended consequences of alcohol prohibition in the United States in the 1920’s? In this investigation, the focus will be on the time frame 1920 to 1933, from when the 18th amendment was passed to when alcohol prohibition was repealed. The pros and cons of national prohibition of alcohol in the aspects of health, financial, and social results will be weighed. This will be done through the interpretation of statistics from before and after prohibition, insights of those who lived through the time period, and apparent reasons for the repeal of the amendment. The main type of source used was secondary source journal articles authored by scholars concerning the outcome of prohibition.
Okrent, Daniel. Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition. New York: Scribner, 2010. Print.
Aaron, Paul and Musto, David, Temperance and Prohibition in America: A Historical Overview. In: Moore, Mark H., and Gerstain, Dean R. (eds) Alcohol and Public Policy: Beyond the Shadow of Prohibition. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1981. Pp 127-181.
It was apparent that Prohibition didn’t achieve its goals, instead, it added to the existing economic and social problems, as well as creating new problems that would be prominent in today’s society. Organized crime grew into an empire, disrespect for the law grew, the per capita consumption of alcohol increased dramatically, city officials fell to gangsters, and the government lost money. It is obvious that prohibition was a miserable failure from all points of view. Reasonable measures were not taken to enforce the laws, so they were practically ignored.
One of the biggest controversies of the twentieth century is the eighteenth amendment. Mississippi was the first state to pass the bill of prohibition. From there on out the entire country followed in Mississippi’s lead in the crusade of prohibition. The eighteenth amendment was a law, which tried to reform and protect the American people against alcohol, as some called, “the devil’s advocate”. The outcome of prohibition was more negative than positive and reeked more havoc than good on the American society.
In David E. Kyvig’s article, he argues that prohibition was in fact a failure. Kyvig states that, “While in reality national prohibition sharply reduced the consumption of alcohol in the United States, the law fell considerably short of expectations. It neither eliminated drinking nor produced a sense that such a goal was within reach” (200). Kyvig explains how the government had a noble way of thinking but did not see what was coming with the evolution of prohibition. The government was overwhelmed with all of the lawbreakers and different movies that were made concerning prohibition. Kyvig also states that, “The picture of national prohibition which emerged over the course of the 1920s dise...
Blocker, Jack S., Jr. "Did Prohibition Really Work? Alcohol Prohibition as a Public Health Innovation." 1 Feb. 2006. eLibrary. 23 Sept. 2013.
in the 1920s. What follows is my term paper which concentrates on prohibition and why it was not effective, namely because of lack of enforcement, growth of crime, and the increase in the drinking rate. I hope this may be of some help to you.
Okrent, Daniel. Last Call: The Rise and Fall of Prohibition. New York: Scribner, (2010) : 255.
“On January 16, 1920, the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcohol were prohibited (“Prohibition”).” The Prohibition was supported by many.“… prohibition was led by the Anti-Saloon league and the Women’s Christian Temperance Union (“Prohibition”).” It was believed that alcohol was the root of many problems and with the elimination of it, these issues might decrease. According to Mark Thornton, “ …the ‘noble-experiment’ was undertaken to reduce crime and corruption, solve social problems, reduce tax burden created by prisons and poorhouses, and improve health and hygiene in America.” After the Prohibition was established it created a domino effect across the U.S. The prohibition was ineffective because the crime rates increased, people
Prohibition not only failed in its promise to curb the social problem created by alcohol. It actually promoted s...
The Prohibition was started in the 1920s when the 18th Amendment was ratified. This leads to many disruptions in America. The 18th Amendment caused many people to become upset with the government. The 18th Amendment was the prohibition of alcohol but was this Prohibition really good for this country? This research paper will tell the positives and negatives of the Prohibition and the overall effect on the country. There are many arguments to both oppositions. This paper will be focusing more on the negative points of the argument. The Prohibition was put into effect on January 16 1920. There was very few people that supported The Prohibition. US leader and temperance movement groups supported it. Many People opposed the Prohibition including, the average citizen, teenagers, and the mafia.
The ingestion of alcoholic beverages for their enjoyable effects is a custom which has been around for thousands of years, and alcohol continues to be a popular drug because of its short-term effects (Coleman, Butcher & Carson, 1984). An enormous amount of damage can be attributed directly to alcohol abuse as a result of lost jobs, accidents caused by drunk drivers, and so forth (Maltzman, 2000). Alcohol also compounds other problems--an estimated 25% to 40% of hospital patients have problems caused by, or recovery delayed by alcohol abuse (Maltzman, 2000). Clinical psychologists spend about one-fourth of their time dealing with people who are suffering in part from alcohol or other substance problems (Vaillant, 1995). Although alcohol problems have been around for so long, it is only recently that these problems have begun to be associated with medical or psychological difficulties.
Alcoholism is of interest to many people in the world today. This paper examines what has recently been learned about alcoholism, especially how serious of a disorder it actually is. Some of the aspects that are explained are what exactly alcohol abuse involves, the negative effects alcohol has on the human body, and options for treatment.
Alcohol in the form of alcoholic beverages has been consumed by humans since pre-historic times, for a variety of hygiene dietary, medicinal, religions and recreational reasons. According to the NIH Senior Health, drinking too much alcohol affects many parts of the body. It can be especially harmful to the liver, the organ that metabolizes (breaks down) alcohol and other harmful substances. People who drink heavily for a long time can develop diseases such as liver inflammation (alcoholic hepatitis) or severe liver scarring (cirrhosis). Alcohol-related liver disease can cause death. According to the statistics in the year 2010 by the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and prevention) the number of discharges with chronic liver disease and cirrhosis as the first-listed diagnosis was 101,000 persons, while the number of deaths has been 31,903 persons.