After World War I the idea of prohibition in the United States seemed like a good idea to people who would have not accepted it had there not been a war. The war helped to bring a feeling of patriotism, and because there was bad feelings towards Germans, and most brewers were German, the public seemed to turn against it. This patriotic sense could also be seen in prohibition in the sense that there was a necessity for saving of food and thus of alcohol. The sacrifices of prohibition that the American people made were in spirit of good health and productivity. The thought was that sobriety brought forth the best in people, and therefore would bring out the best in the nation.
The Volstead Act was passed for the enforcement of the Eighteenth Amendment, however many threats existed against it. These threats included smugglers, druggists who were allowed to sell alcohol on doctors" prescriptions but were not closely watched, beer manufacturers who did not remove all alcohol from non - alcoholic beer, and home brewing of beer. The Government set up prohibition agents to guard against all of these threats, but they were not of any major effect on smuggling and such acts. This was due to the quick reform that people, having only been under the Volstead Act for a few months, were gradually beginning to achieve a state of normalcy after the war and return to their normal selves, which included drinking.
Although it was obvious to both those who supported prohibition and to those who were against it that prohibition was not functioning in the United States. However, no immediate action was taken to change this, whether it would be to put stronger agents to enforce prohibition or to do away with prohibition as a whole, nothing was done. It was obvious that the law was not working like it was supposed to and no one seemed to want or be able to do much about it. .
Alphonse Capone took advantage of the mishaps that occurred due to the Eighteenth Amendment.
