High Spirits
Alcohol Consumption
Regarding alcohol, what I find interesting is the minimum even in Bangladesh, the country with lowest intake is one litre of pure alcohol per person.
Which is a colossal amount when multiplied by the total population.
I find it interesting Iranians drink as much as Russians. It is said Belorussians drink the most but their officials figures are scaled down. Maldivians drink more simply due to lack of pure water.
Come to Ceylonese they drink about 15 times as as Bangladeshis and only about 5 times less as Russians. I expected the Africans to drink more but it is true of only a few countries like Zambia, Nigeria and South Africa. Myanmar tops India and Indians drink, far less amount than Ceylonese.
My gut feeling was that people of rich and relatively happy countries consume more but they are less than all the Muslim countries put together.
Malaysia is an exception.
I guessed Singaporean drinks more but I was proven wrong. The reason, they have no time to drink.
Except New Zealand most of the Western counties drink an average more than Asians.
The Australians are heavy drinkers but it is coming down unlike in UK and USA. My analysis is where there are dictators running the country, the alcohol consumption is high. Myanmar is a classic example and some Latin American countries with dictators running the affairs are close allies of alcohol.
A point what our Buddhist monks have failed to grasp is when there is a dictator running, the alcohol consumption goes up significantly and rapidly. So, if we want to drop alcohol consumption democracy should go hand in hand and not other way round. If our alcohol consumption goes up by the next election do not blame the drinker but the rulers. The corollary is, for a dictator to succeed the country should streamline and jack up alcohol production and sell alcohol at an affordable price. The variety does not matter but the production rate does.
I gather Americans are drinking much more after the previous election with enthusiasm and steam. This will increase if, President Biden approves and let the furloughing, to go through. President Biden has to make sure that the alcohol production goes unhampered during his term of office and he will be remembered for life, if he cuts down taxes on alcohol in spite of medical advice. It does not matter he fails to keep 90% of his promises. That also make Republicans to drink more and lose track of the elections. For his successor to have a smooth riding, he also should not follow the doctors advice on alcohol and should not let through, the numerous medical legislatures brought in front of him for approval. Just pretend that the president (President Trump) is absorbing the advice in good spirit. Now that the war in the Middle East is escalating one should not let the alcohol price go up but let only the oil and the gas prices, go up.
Still on alcohol, I tried to find a Clinical Pharmacology book by Lawrence et all, from which I absorbed the basic knowledge and clinical effects of alcohol but could not find a single copy available (published in late nineteen sixties). Then I found a book on Clinical Chemistry by Calbreath and that gave a real scientific introduction, including its manufacture and adulteration.
I gave up drinking local alcohol due to its adulteration since independence and went for only imported alcohol and very lately to wine. I never enjoyed beer but local Gin and Tonic was my favourite before a billiard or snooker game. I never realized, I was getting addicted, perhaps in small doses, including alcohol inside chocolates.
I have weaned myself off, after a decade of trial and effort. I never had the insight, I am becoming addicted and the that was the first critical faculty, I lost. I have never been able to cure any person from alcohol addiction and since I am writing this as a non medical person, I took the liberty to use the the title "Alcohol and its Charms" not to entice a guy or girl who has never tried alcohol but to make it readable like a novel and I in return get my royalties as a bonus.
I was heavy smoker and I could stop it abruptly, since it affected my physical performance and activities in sports. That effort made me to realise one day, I can stop my addiction clinically not obvious to even my close ones.
Simply, I was a nice guy after alcohol.
I would not have realized the bad habits, I have acquired as an adult including violent temper, if not for the reason of enjoying a bit of alcohol. I do not believe that alcohol brings worse in anybody, it only exposes one's hidden genetic tendencies.
Please do not blame alcohol.
It is the second discovery of man in evolution, after honey. The fundamental biological agent, the yeast was the starter for the bread industry but it branched much bigger to alcohol industry.
Even Buddhist monks consume it, in Dasa Mula (ten root causes) Aristaya and the Fifth Precept in Buddhism is Mujja Pama Dhattna.
It means little bit is OK and I have not fathomed how little is little bit.
Now that foreign liqueur is totally banned, if I do not list ten or more of the wonders of alcohol, it is an insult to the the mankind ability to discover from prehistoric times.
1. It is the man’s first discovery that alcohol elevate mood and euphoria. The other method of delivering euphoria is intense time consuming meditation. Both are human addictions and lasts only momentarily.
2. Alcohol removes inhibitions.
3. Alcohol in moderation makes one to speaks fluently on matters of no significance.
The politician are adept at it.
President Trump impeachment is a living example. Both Republicans and Democrats speak with no end in sight on flimsy points.
4. In my case alcohol makes me to settle my nerves and play a good game of snooker or billiards.
5. It makes me to tolerate unwelcome guests in a party, wedding and funerals especially where even the enemies come to celebrate.
Mind you now avoid all these by gut reaction.
6. It makes me to discover new ideas to ponder over the table “Wonders of Alcohol” is one out of many.
7. It made me to discover that it destroys all the normal functions of the liver by default, of the actions of some feel good hormones released by a good piece of chocolates.
8. It make me to forget all the promises given but never acted upon by the party in power.
9. It makes me to forget all important part payment, I own.
10. It gives me happiness on one side and cancer on the other.
A truly double edged sword to stab an enemy.
Strangely in this country nobody offers a drink to an enemy on the other side of the aisle.
11. Why did you give up alcohol?
If somebody asks me this question, I have two ready made answers and a few more thought provoking ones.
It effects my memory and my sleep.
I had a fantastic memory as a kid and I did not have to take notes. Unfortunately,many of my friendly fellow beings did not have that capacity. Equally, I only took short notes in strips of paper not A 4 size but which fitted in my front shirt pocket. That is also things or an idea I heard for the first time. However, I did not believe in them, first hand. For example evolution.
I loved my sleep.
The reasons outside those two are many.
The recent tax imposition which was draconian by all means, to all the liberals.
I only prefer to drink alcohol not taxes.
12. The effect of alcohol on liver, especially on feel good factors (hormones) of chocolates is an important discovery for me. Fact that, alcohol hijacks the important biochemical pathways in the liver and depletes micro-elements is another reason.
Alcohol turns non carcinogens to carcinogen and the vise versa.
It is a double edge sword.
My current intention is to highlight the good things about alcohol.
Cirrhosis and depletion of glycogen are few others.
Sugar metabolism and early morning hypoglycemia can be mortal in ones sleep mode, especially for the elderly over 60.
One does not have to be a diabetic.
13. It effects driving skills and a common cause of accidents.
14. It is a universal cell poison, including brain cells.
Two points I missed and not mentioned in the description of alcohol side effects in web pages and sites are;
15. Compulsive gambling and legal problems related to money matters.
Like politicians, the new breed can become compulsive liars to buy the next drink or the basic needs.
16. Lying is a human survival trait.
17. This is where domestic problems arise, including violence.
18. The debts increase and responsibility decreases.
There are many more to fill a book of decent size.
Bangladesh=1
India =5
Ceylon=15
Russia=50
Russia 14 Liters per year
Australia 13 Liters per year
United Kingdom 12 Liters per year
While Australia's alcohol consumption is relatively high, it is lower than both Russia and the UK. Russia has a higher overall consumption and a greater proportion of spirits in its consumption, while the UK's higher consumption is reflected in the larger standard drink size and the recommended 14 units per week.
Australia: 12.6 litres of pure alcohol per person per year.
Standard drink: 10 grams of alcohol.
Australian guidelines: recommend that adults consume no more than 10 standard drinks per week and no more than 4 standard drinks on any one day, with lower recommended consumption for women.
In Australia, two standard drinks would be 25ml of pure alcohol, or 250ml of a typical 40% ABV spirit. For other types of drinks, two standard drinks would be 200ml of wine or 570ml of full strength beer.
Spirits: A standard drink of spirits (40% ABV) is 30ml (1 nip). Therefore, two standard drinks would be 60ml (2 nips).
Wine: A standard drink of wine is 100ml. Two standard drinks would be 200ml.
Beer: A standard drink of full strength beer (around 4.8% ABV) is 285ml. Two standard drinks would be 570ml (285ml x 2).
A standard drink contains 12.5ml of pure alcohol. Therefore, two standard drinks would be 25ml
Russia: 14.5 litres of pure alcohol per person per year.
United Kingdom: 11.4 litres of pure alcohol per person per year.
Standard drink: 8 grams of alcohol.
UK guidelines: recommend that adults consume no more than 14 units per week, with lower recommendations for women.
