The document discusses the failure of the 18th amendment which prohibited alcohol in the United States. It led to the rise of illegal drinking establishments called speakeasies and bootleggers who illegally provided alcohol. The 21st amendment was then passed in 1933 to repeal the 18th amendment and end prohibition, as it had failed to stop drinking and only increased criminal activity. The failure of prohibition showed that banning popular substances tends to drive demand underground rather than eliminate it.