How far did the Anti-Saloon League contribute to prohibition becoming Essay

How far did the Anti-Saloon League contribute to prohibition becoming active in the USA in the 1920's - Essay Example Drinking in those days started to become popular and soon men started spending more time in saloons and pubs than their own homes. The interest of the family was often affected by the habits of men who took to drinking and the effects of alcoholism soon started reverberating in the modern society. With pressures of life mounting in the towns and cities, it became fashionable for men to display their machoism by immersing themselves in booze and smoke. Other than machoism, visiting the saloon started to be considered as a social requirement. It was considered as a place where a man could enhance his awareness and also eat and booze cheaply. â€Å"The saloonkeeper is the only man who keeps open house in the ward. It is his business to entertain. It does not matter that he does not select his guests; that convention is useless among them. In fact, his democracy is one element of his strength. His face is the common meeting ground of his neighbours - and he supplies the stimulus which r enders social life possible; there is an accretion of intelligence that comes to him in his business. He hears the best stories. He is the first to get accurate information as to the latest political deals and social mysteries. The common talk of the day passes through his ears and he is known to retain that which is the most interesting.† (Moore 1897). It was the later part of the 1800s that the sentiment against alcoholism slowly started to catch up in the American society. People awakened to the effect of the drink and taking a cue from families that were often deprived of basic necessities because of their breadwinner’s drinking habits, began to assimilate ideas against alcoholism. Even though many anti-alcoholic forums were active in those days, the Anti-Saloon league became a force to reckon with and soon played a major in changing public opinion about alcoholism in the country. The league went on to become so powerful that it