Question: So, how successful was the 18th Amendment at enforcing prohibition? (scroll down for answer)

Answer:

Not very. People circumvented (went around) the amendment with:

1. Speakeasies - Places that secretly served alcohol when the cops weren't looking. Or, in some cities ... the cops looked the other way.

2. Bathtub gin - dangerous concoctions of alcohol made in people's homes.

3. Bootlegging - illegally transporting and selling the booze. This type of behavior led to the rise of organized crime. It can be argued that Al Capone would not have been so powerful if not for the 18th Amendment.

4. Some people just went to Canada for alcohol.

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