What was the prohibition in Utah?

Answer 1

Although National Prohibition existed in Utah, the state favored Repeal in 1933. Nevertheless, a strong temperance sentiment continues to exist in the state.

Before Utah officially enacted prohibition statewide, in 1917, small towns had already adopted anti-alcohol laws. St. George passed an ordinance prohibiting the manufacture and sale of alcohol. Although, as St. George and other small cities, realized that completely preventing people's drinking habits was not an easy task.

Less than two months into the law, a group of young men snuck a five gallon keg of wine and crept out west of the city to indulge in it. After enjoying a large amount of it, one young man, being drunk, shot one of his buddies for no apparent reason. News of this traveled fast, and soon they were in court, three of them fined and the other two acquitted from lack of evidence. Illegal sell of alcohol products was also a huge problem throughout prohibition and before.

Many illegal alcohol sellers were fined and put in jail, and that was just a taste of what was to come for in because of the ratification of the law of prohibition in 1919, which instituted prohibition throughout the whole country. Now, instead of having to deal with just a few minor cities, Utah had to attend to the entire state, and prevent all manufacturing and selling of alcohol.

In 1923, a Utah attorney declared that drinking in some big cities in Utah was just as bad as it was before prohibition. Overall from 1925-1932, Utah uncovered over 400 distilleries, 25,000 gallons of spirits, 8,000 gallons of liquors, 13,000 gallons of wine, and 332,000 gallons of MASH.

Many local authorities did their best to keep Utah dry, but to no avail. Some were corrupt. Problems of enforcement and the unpopularity of prohibition led to action for its repeal. Franklin Roosevelt kept his pledge, and the nation soon began voting on the problem.

Utahns voted on November 7, 1933, for repeal of national prohibition and in the same election also repealed the state's liquor law. Utah was the thirty-sixth state to vote for repeal and thus, delivered prohibition its death blow.

-Peyton Mower