Prohibition, for any substance, is the banning of a certain type of good. In the early 19th century, a law was passed known as the Volstead Act, which banned alcohol, was made to enforce the already proposed 18th Amendment (Rebman 10-13). Many economic and social issues contributed to the start of the new experiment, prohibition.

"...Americans between 1800 and 1830 drank more alcohol, on an individual basis, than at any other time in the history of this nation" (Pegram 6-7). People turned to alcohol for many reasons. Some thought that alcohol benefited their health because while they worked outdoors, alcohol made them feel warm. Some believed that alcohol had the power to give laborers strength throughout the day. Unlike nowadays, clean water was quite uncommon back then. It was usually found muddy and brackish state, and it did not have a pleasant taste. Milk was not always available for purchasing...