Prohibition didn’t work. It didn’t stop people from drinking, it drove out formerly legitimate businesses, and gave tons of money to organized crime. That’s not working, it made the problem worse by adding gun fights.
Correct, but vastly undestated. Prior to Prohibition, the primary drink was beer and wine. Whiskey, Gin and other Liquors were considered "low class", and the drink of the drunkard. During Prohibition, people quickly realized that condensing the alcohol was a more efficient and profitable way to move alcohol. A keg of beer gets 20 people drunk - the same keg of Whiskey gets 200 people drunk.
Carry this over to the WOD. 20 years ago, Crack, PCP, Crystal, Meth and a host of other drugs didn't exist. We had various grades of marijuana (none of them holds a candle to the grades commonly available today) and Coke. But, because of demand and the need to concentrate the narcotics; drugs that were never contemplated 20 years ago - are commonplace today, with newer and more addicive variations appearing more and more often.
Prohibition does far more than create a criminal class, and create a very lucrative contraband product. It CREATES newer and more dangerous forms of contraband. For example, prior to Prohibition, the liquor Everclear did not exist.