I can't say much about its success and failure in other countries, but Prohibition of alcohol in the US was an example of the eventual failure of a political victory gained without popular support. The temperance movements by the late 1800's had become very well organized. They gained their best political operative in Wayne Wheeler, head of the Anti-Saloon League. Wheeler was the pioneer of single issue advocacy: previously, if a politician was progressive on issues like women's suffrage and education, temperance groups would overlook his other faults. Wheeler made the choice much harder for a politician: support a ban on alcohol, or the ASL would support his opponent. There was also a strong moral issue, with a seemingly simple solution, that could disguise a more difficult economic problem. The 1890's were a time of periodic economic upheavals. Wages had not risen,despite a labor shortage, and the stress on families was severe. Temperance groups offered a tidy and safe explanation for broken families: working men were being tempted to drink, and their families were being destroyed by alcohol ( not low wages, long hours, uncertain employment) .

In contrast the voices that might have argued against Prohibition were disorganized. There was no National Association of Beer Lovers. Brewers and whiskey distillers could protest, but they were being denounced as immoral, the source of the problem. The ratification of the 18th amendment by all the state legislatures thus took amazingly little time, only a little over a year. It also took place when the country was entering WWI, and controls on alcohol were thought to be needed for the war effort anyway.

But after the Volsted Act put the 18th Amendment into force, it turned out the popular support for Prohibition was very shallow. Most people, actually, had no problem with responsible drinking: they just didn't want to voice that opinion and be denounced by crusading Temperance leaders like Wayne Wheeler. Lutherans, Catholics, Jews, German-Americans, Italian-Americans.....all sorts of groups were against it. And many people were exempted- priests could get sacramental wine, pharmacists could get medicinal alcohol, which created a mixed message and alternative sources of supply for drinkers. Enforcement was lax: it turned out very few people would call the cops if they saw an unlicensed speakeasy selling whiskey. Prohibition actually made things worse: non-compliance with the law became fashionable, drinking became something that was done at all times of the day, and by both men and, for the first time, women. When eventually the amendment was repealed, the US had perhaps more alcoholics than it had had before 1919.

Okrent :Last Call