antisaloon

Antisaloon refers to individuals and organizations dedicated to opposing the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages. Rooted in 19th-century temperance reform, antisaloon movements argued that alcohol abuse caused social ills such as crime, poverty, domestic violence, and health problems. They sought to reduce or eliminate saloon venues and alcohol availability through moral suasion, social reform, and political action. In many countries, antisaloon activism was closely tied to religious groups, women's associations, and labor organizations.

Within the United States, the Anti-Saloon League emerged as a leading political arm of the movement in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. It pioneered a strategy of winning legislative votes by lobbying lawmakers and orchestrating broad national and state campaigns, sometimes with the aim of constitutional prohibition. Its effectiveness contributed to the passage of national prohibition and enforcement measures in the United States through the 18th Amendment (1919) and the Volstead Act (1919-1920). The League operated alongside other temperance groups, such as the Women’s Christian Temperance Union.

Prohibition remained in effect in the United States until the 21st Amendment repealed it in 1933. Anti-saloon activism continued in various forms after repeal, shifting focus to regulation, public health, and later alcohol policy. The term antisaloon is less commonly used today, but the movement influenced public policy debates on alcohol that persisted in different regions and eras. In a broader sense, antisaloon describes the broader temperance and prohibition movements that advocate reducing or banning alcohol sales and access.