Some of its lingering after effects are screwed up State laws, organized crime, and uber-regressive taxes.
There is a nice article here. It contains a 1924 quote from H.L. Mencken:
Five years of Prohibition have had, at least, this one benign effect: they have completely disposed of all the favourite arguments of the Prohibitionists. None of the great boons and usufructs that were to follow the passage of the Eighteenth Amendment has come to pass. There is not less drunkenness in the Republic, but more. There is not less crime, but more. There is not less insanity, but more. The cost of government is not smaller, but vastly greater. Respect for law has not increased, but diminished.It had more than those 5 years to work its ill effects. About every 75 years the USA has a Temperance movement...today it's smoking that they're after. 75 years before Prohibition, they were painting the cordial glasses out of George Washington's hands as he toasted his troops.
As much as I don't like smoking around me, and I don't, I try to tolerate it much more nowadays. They will come after me-- a shooter, drinker, motorcycle rider-- when they are done with the smokers. I need to hang with them or I'll surely hang alone (c.f. Ben F.).
