Why alcohol is harder to control than tobacco
Apparently the problems that alcohol poses to individuals and societies are beyond human control. Ethyl alcohol, which we usually mean when we talk of alcohol, has been misused by humans, and occasionally other animals, since the beginning of time to achieve extraordinary states of mind. However, its wide consumption as an accepted intoxicant is a growing menace to civilised societies.
It is intriguing to remember that the very word “alcohol” carries
a confused network of derivations. Originally, according to the Oxford English
Dictionary, it came from
al-kohl, an Arabic word signifying a fine powder used to stain the eyelids, referring
to powdered sulphides of antimony and lead. Today we tend to think of alcohols
as liquids, although there are some, derived from fats, that are solids.
In Nature for 8 April, Helen Pearson reviews the mixed messages that we receive
regarding alcohol and its relation to health. She points out that “alcohol
and tobacco are the terrible twins of public health”: both are capable
of increasing the risk of cancer and other life-threatening diseases, both are
aggressively promoted by a powerful industry and favoured by politicians, and
both are horribly addictive.
It seems strange that while tobacco, at least, has prompted stark health warnings
in print and its slaves have to a great extent been shut out in public life from
the company of their wiser fellows, there has been no such vilification of alcohol.
And this is despite the warning of the World Health Organization that the harm
caused by alcohol nearly equals that attending smoking.
The failure of public health campaigns
to meet the challenge of alcohol may be attributed to its detrimental effects
being less clear-cut than those of tobacco. There is even an argument abroad
that moderate drinking of alcohol is beneficial in reducing the risk of heart
attacks later in life. If such a doubtful benefit exists, it may well be limited
to a small number of individuals. The cardiovascular gains are outbalanced by
the likely losses in terms of cancers, liver cirrhosis and neuropsychological
disorders. It is wiser to rely on increased exercise and improved diet than on
a marginal benefit from alcohol.
Moreover, there is difficulty in calculating individual consumption of ethanol,
since the alcoholic content of drinks varies widely from product to product and
from country
to country. Conflicting messages from health authorities, the media and the alcohol
industry naturally confuse drinkers who encounter them. “Moderation” cannot
be precisely defined. The highest disease rate attributable to alcoholism is
seen in the former socialist countries of Eastern Europe and in Latin America — nations
with a tradition of heavy drinking. But in rich developed countries the phenomenon
of “binge drinking” by youngsters is presenting a growing problem.
We need stronger measures to curb
alcohol consumption. These could include raising the minimum drinking age, reducing
the number of outlets selling alcohol, restricting the hours when drinks may
be sold
and increasing prices. The benefit of such measures could be dramatic — and
not just
in terms of public health but also in reducing violent crime.
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The
Pharmaceutical Journal
In the past we have heard strange accounts of mysterious “corn circles” appearing for no apparent reason in our fields. Sometimes a deliberate hoax has been assumed, while for others no explanation has been forthcoming. Now a note from the University of Pretoria, published in New Scientist for 3 April, indicates that the mystery circle phenomenon may be more widely distributed than was hitherto thought. Discs
of bare sandy soil 2m to 10m in diameter have been observed along the western
coastal fringes of the desert of Namibia. They are characterised by a barren
centre surrounded by a rich growth of tall grasses that stand in clear relief
against the sparse local desert vegetation.