PeteMorris Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 Seems its been linked for a long time. Ah...thanks Tigs...I don't recall it being widely publicised thou...But that was when I used to smoke...So I probably ignored it...hahaha Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phanerothyme Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 I'm interested though... What are the ways in which alcohol incapacitates a person? Why do people drink? Do people feel it takes the edge of things, enables them to socialise better, or is it about escaping something (life's problems maybe)? Alcohol consumption gradually obliterates the self until unconsciousness sets in (and if you're still absorbing it from your gut, death follows). A slight obliteration of the self can make worries less worrisome, and the first things to go are your inhibitions - to talking to strangers, taking risks, instigating violence etc., etc. McKenna once mused ... “Alcohol is used by millions of people, both men and women, and I will make no friends by taking the position that alcohol culture is not politically correct. Yet how can we explain the legal toleration for alcohol, the most destructive of all intoxicants, and the almost frenzied efforts to repress nearly all other drugs? Could it not be that we are willing to pay the terrible toll that alcohol extracts because it is allowing us to continue the repressive dominator style that keeps us all infantile and irresponsible participants in a dominator world characterized by the marketing of ungratified sexual fantasy?” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sgtkate Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 Alcohol consumption gradually obliterates the self until unconsciousness sets in (and if you're still absorbing it from your gut, death follows). A slight obliteration of the self can make worries less worrisome, and the first things to go are your inhibitions - to talking to strangers, taking risks, instigating violence etc., etc. McKenna once mused ... “Alcohol is used by millions of people, both men and women, and I will make no friends by taking the position that alcohol culture is not politically correct. Yet how can we explain the legal toleration for alcohol, the most destructive of all intoxicants, and the almost frenzied efforts to repress nearly all other drugs? Could it not be that we are willing to pay the terrible toll that alcohol extracts because it is allowing us to continue the repressive dominator style that keeps us all infantile and irresponsible participants in a dominator world characterized by the marketing of ungratified sexual fantasy?” Surely it's about tax. If it was introduced now it'd be banned, but keeping the status quo is rather profitable for the government. Smoking is in the exact same category. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phanerothyme Posted January 11, 2016 Share Posted January 11, 2016 That's the happy side effect. It's addictive, and almost no matter how much you tax it, people keep buying it. A bottle of Whiskey, tax and duty free, would be something like 20% of its current price. And it's not a traditionally 'enlightening' drug, so unlike say, LSD or Mescaline, it doesn't precipitate behavioural change away from persistent use. But yes, the £10 billion a year in alcohol duty and VAT on drink is a tough addiction for the treasury to break... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 Alcohol is addictive, but very few people (relatively speaking) suffer from alcohol addiction. The majority of tax income through alcohol doesn't come about because of any kind of addiction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milquetoast1 Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 Cyclone, did you see the link I posted earlier? You might have missed it because it fell at the end of the last page. http://www.statsguy.co.uk/new-alcohol-guidelines/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 I've been following the blog of medical statistician Adam Jacobs for some time, and here's his interesting thoughts on the new guidlines: http://www.statsguy.co.uk/new-alcohol-guidelines/ That's a really good, in depth analysis. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RootsBooster Posted January 12, 2016 Share Posted January 12, 2016 Alcohol is addictive, but very few people (relatively speaking) suffer from alcohol addiction. The majority of tax income through alcohol doesn't come about because of any kind of addiction. Out of interest, how do you arrive at this conclusion? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
milquetoast1 Posted January 29, 2016 Share Posted January 29, 2016 These claims were nicely put into perspective, as I suspected they would be, on today's More Or Less programme on Radio 4: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06yfypf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cyclone Posted January 30, 2016 Share Posted January 30, 2016 Out of interest, how do you arrive at this conclusion? It's based on personal experience. I know many people who drink, I don't know any who have become addicted to it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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