Prohibition

• • Laws against making and selling intoxicated liquor. Ban lasted a year until after the war ended
• • In early 20th century, alcohol was blamed for many social problems like crime, public drunkenness, physical, mental abuse 
• • Mob wanting prohibition/reasons for ban: women, mothers, religious people, wives, negative example for children
• • Speakeasy: establishment that serves illegal alcohol.  
  • smuggling/bootlegging: Act of providing illegal alcohol 
  • Rum-runners transported about 45 million litres of liquor into the US, through boats, land crossings, etc
  • Canadian rum-runners: Rocco Peri (mob boss from Hamilton ONT), Emilio Picariello
• Reasons to Ban

  • Social problems
  • Crime
  • Abuse
  • drunkenness


  Reasons NOT to Ban

  • Governments lost income from alcohol taxes
  • People are unhappy 
• Positive Effects

  • Grain in alcohol production can be used for food during the war

  Negative Effects

  • Many criminals became rich smuggling alcohol
  • Government was not earning anything from the ban