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Article: PROHIBITION HAD ITS PLUSES, SCHOLARS SAY.(Main)
- Article from:
- Albany Times Union (Albany, NY)
- Article date:
- November 22, 1990
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1990 Albany Times Union. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Byline: Robert K. Landers Congressional Quarterly
When public concern about alcohol consumption peaked in the early years of this century, the result was Prohibition. Most people regard it as a flop, but scholars say it had a distinctly salutary effect.
Despite the common view that drinking became more widespread during the Prohibition era, historians now agree that the amount of liquor Americans consumed actually declined. Wage earners had more money available for consumer goods, and alcohol-related health problems decreased significantly.
Congress passed the 18th Amendment to the Constitution in 1917, and it was ratified by the states by ...