A law or other order that bans a certain act or procedure. More specifically, however, prohibition often refers to the period from 1920 to 1933 in the U.S. when the manufacture, transportation, and sale of alcoholic liquors was prohibited by the 18th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
The nation’s 14-year experiment with prohibition ended on December 5, 1933, when Utah became the 36th state to ratify the 21st Amendment. The 21st Amendment returned the regulation of alcohol to the states. Each state sets its own rules for the sale and importation of alcohol, including the drinking age.
www.justicelearning.org, The United States Constitution, what it says, what it means, A Hip Pocket Guide (Oxford University Press)