Prohibition
Prohibition, in law, refers to any body of law having the effect of prohibiting or controlling the consumption of any particular substance. It usually means the prohibition of the manufacture, sale, transport, and import of alcoholic drinks. Prohibition laws rarely made drinking a crime, just the manufacture or selling of liquor.
Contents
Summary of Prohibition Movements and Laws
Prohibition is primarily a feature of 19th century law or later. Most outright, national prohibitions took place in the first half of the 20th century, viz.:
| Period | Nation-state |
|---|---|
| 1920-33 | United States of America |
| 1914-25 | Russia and the Soviet Union |
| 1915-22 | Iceland |
| 1916-27 | Norway |
| 1919-32 | Finland |
| 1900-48 | Prince Edward Island and elsewhere in Canada, though for shorter periods |
| ca. 1920-current (various starting points) | Middle East, North Africa, Asia |
History and Current State in Various Regions
United States
- Main Article: Prohibition in the United States
Each state has its own rules on the distribution and sale of alcoholic beverages. Some states require liquor to be sold through state-owned and state-operated stores (examples are Alabama and Pennsylvania) or require a three-tiered system of distribution (manufacturer, wholesaler, retailer; Texas requires such).
Other common restrictions include when and where alcoholic beverages can be sold. Texas, for example, requires cities or counties to approve such sales (and require separate votes for beer and wine sales vs. liquor sales) and does not permit sales at certain times (beer and wine cannot be sold on Sunday before noon, liquor cannot be sold at all on Sunday) or in certain places (liquor stores must be physically separated from any other retail establishment on the premises, and when closed cannot sell any item, even items which can otherwise be legally sold at that time).
Russian Empire and Soviet Union
Arab and other Muslim lands
South Asia
Southeast Asia
Australia
Brunei
Bibliography
- Blocker, Jack S. ed. Alcohol and Temperance in Modern History: An International Encyclopedia (2 vol 2003)
- Pietrusza, David, Gangsterland: A Tour Through the Dark Heart of Jazz-Age New York City (2023)
