Addiction Series This Is Alcohol [Paperback]

Alcohol really is a strange drug, and even stranger is mankind's relationship with it. After all, it's integrated so deeply within our (Western) society it'll never completely disappear, especially not since it nowadays has become such an accepted and important element of a large number or social and formal occasions all over the world.

It's not even - to most people - regarded as a drug anymore. "Alcohol" and "drugs" are seemingly two different things, which obviously is complete hogwash. Alcohol is a drug, it just happens to be easily available and deemed legal, (that is, profitable) by the people in power. Unlike "drugs", which are a) something completely different, b) something utterly evil which must be fought by all means necessary, and c) something one can not use in a responsible and harmless way.

Goddamnit. That must be the worst case of hypocrisy I've ever seen.

And I think I have all the rights in the world to believe that. Because alcohol is, even though most people apparently choose to ignore it, a drug that the last ten years has killed twenty times as many teenagers as heroin or ecstasy, a drug that annually is the cause of death for somewhere close to two million deaths worldwide. Not counting the numerous crimes committed under the influence of this evil liquid. Yet despite its devious ability to kill and/or cause unfathomable pain and suffering it remains legal in most countries. But just like any other drug, alcohol too can be used responsibly, without jeopardizing the health of the consumer or the people around him or her, and sure, a good binge is a good binge.

In other words, alcohol is simple matter, and it's this very fact that Nick Brownlee demonstrates to the readers of This is Alcohol. The book is a global survey of different countries different alcohol policies and traditions, but with a focus on Great Britain and what the present situation, along with the history, looks like. This focus should not be frowned upon by any non-Brit, because Brownlee devotes enough attention to places outside the British Isles to please everyone, regardless of where one might live. However, one must be prepared to being told quite a few unpleasant truths about alcohol and especially the politics behind it all.

Still, Brownlee's writing isn't flawless, but the few occasional (and honestly somewhat irrelevant) mistakes aside, This is Alcohol remains a book packed with disturbing and therefore readable truths. But remember, they only remain disturbing if you choose to look the other way when the real world comes crushing down.

This is a very detailed, informative book. It has a few statistics about alcoholism but deals more with facts about alcohol and its hold on different cultures. It is a good read and I learned alot.

Everything you ever wanted to know about alocohol, its history, the science, myths and health all in one very readable book.

The book is from the UK so it has a lot of european interviews but has some plenty of material for US readers including some prohibition pictures.

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