[mugs99]

The incidence of alcoholism and alcohol related disease was much reduced during prohibition. Consumption was also reduced.

Not true. Reductions were measured during the first year of prohibition. As organized crime grew to supply the demand so did consumption, alcoholism and alcohol deaths. Teenagers dying from alcohol overdose became epidemic. That's why Pauline Sabin led the Mothers of America march on Washington to repeal prohibition. They did it "for the children".
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[lonestar67]

36. Mark S. Gold, The Good News About Drugs and Alcohol (New York: Viliard Books, 1991).

No, it worked. Various use and abuse indices immediately went down.

There was a criminal strategy to increase use. Criminals caused the increase not the law.

Laws do not cause people to use and do illegal things and I grow weary of libertarians saying it does.

Stop rationalizing wrong things by blaming them on "the law."

Quite frankly, alcohol still is highly destructive.