“Prohibition succeeded in replacing good beer with bad gin.” (Digital History) The 18th Amendment was used to ban the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages. However, by passing the 18th Amendment, the government ultimately helped contribute to the decline of American culture and rising crime rates. People no longer wanted to be involved in public activities away from their homes. These, among others, were all the effects of the government implementing the amendment, essentially deciding what people could and could not drink. At midnight on January 16, 1920, the United States ran dry; this was the beginning of prohibition. (Digital History) The 18th Amendment was first suggested and promoted by the Anti-saloon League and the Women's Christian Temperature Union. Women believed that alcoholic beverages were the main cause of wife beating and child abuse and that it affected work productivity. They thought that making alcohol consumption illegal would lower the rate of abuse. On the other hand, many Americans considered alcohol such as beer and wine to be part of their culture. Alcohol had become so deeply ingrained in American society that there were more saloons than schools, libraries, theaters, parks, or churches. Any alcoholic drink with more than 0.5% was defined as "intoxicating drinks". (Digital History). The 18th Amendment was supposed to eliminate corruption and end machine politics, while helping immigrants adapt to American cultures and customs. The ban caused not only political but also economic problems; some of these were the loss of many jobs in places like breweries, distilleries, and saloons. Andrew Volstead, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, wrote... halfway through the document... to stop alcohol consumption. The passage of the amendment did nothing but increase the amount of illegal alcohol trafficking and corruption in American society, increasing crime rates and upsetting many people from many different states. Works Cited “18th and 21st Amendments.” History.com. A&E and Web Television Networks. March 10, 2014. http://www.history.com/topics/18th-and-21st-amendments“Digital History.” Digital history. Np and Web. 10 March 2014 http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/disp-textbook.cfm“Prohibitionism”. PBSPBS. Nd Web. 11 March 2014 http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/prohibition“Prohibitionism and its effects”. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. NP and Web. 09 March 2014. http://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era“The 18th Amendment”. The 18th Amendment. NP and Web. March 9, 2014 www.albany.edu/~wm731882/18th_amendment_final.html