prohibitionists

Prohibitionists are individuals or groups advocating for legal prohibition of certain substances or activities, most commonly alcohol. Historically the term is associated with the temperance movement of the 19th and early 20th centuries, which sought to curb alcohol consumption through moral suasion, education, and legal bans. In the United States, organized prohibition culminated in the 18th Amendment (1919) and the Volstead Act, which established nationwide prohibition from 1920 to 1933. Prohibitionists argued that alcohol fueled crime, poverty, domestic violence, and social decay, and that banning production and sale would protect families and improve public health. They were supported by religious groups, social reformers, and some working-class movements, as well as by women’s organizations such as the Women's Christian Temperance Union.

Enforcement proved difficult, and illicit production, bootlegging, speakeasies, and corruption grew. Critics argued that prohibition violated individual liberties and failed to address underlying social problems; some maintained that regulation and taxation would reduce harm more effectively. The repeal of Prohibition in 1933 in the United States ended nationwide bans, though some jurisdictions retain partial restrictions on alcohol and other substances, and temperance activism persisted in various forms.

In other countries, prohibitionist movements have taken different shapes, including attempts to ban narcotics or restrict alcohol through licensing and prohibition for periods of history. Modern debates on prohibition often center on public health, civil liberties, harm reduction, and law enforcement resources. Prohibitionists are sometimes contrasted with those advocating regulation, taxation, or criminal penalties as policy tools.