Alcohol doesn't make you drunk!

[yehbut_nobut]

Well it does - but not in the way you might think - fascinating article here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-15265317

There is enormous cross-cultural variation in the way people behave when they drink alcohol. There are some societies (such as the UK, the US, Australia and parts of Scandinavia) that anthropologists call "ambivalent" drinking-cultures, where drinking is associated with disinhibition, aggression, promiscuity, violence and anti-social behaviour.

There are other societies (such as Latin and Mediterranean cultures in particular, but in fact the vast majority of cultures), where drinking is not associated with these undesirable behaviours - cultures where alcohol is just a morally neutral, normal, integral part of ordinary, everyday life - about on a par with, say, coffee or tea. These are known as "integrated" drinking cultures.

This variation cannot be attributed to different levels of consumption - most integrated drinking cultures have significantly higher per-capita alcohol consumption than the ambivalent drinking cultures...

This basic fact has been proved time and again, not just in qualitative cross-cultural research, but also in carefully controlled scientific experiments - double-blind, placebos and all. To put it very simply, the experiments show that when people think they are drinking alcohol, they behave according to their cultural beliefs about the behavioural effects of alcohol...

Our beliefs about the effects of alcohol act as self-fulfilling prophecies - if you firmly believe and expect that booze will make you aggressive, then it will do exactly that. In fact, you will be able to get roaring drunk on a non-alcoholic placebo.

[TotalMayhem]

Here's to "ambivalence" then...

[fluffybiscuits]

Well it goes hand in hand that alcohol is a mood enhancer. If you are in a bad or foul mood alcohol only exasperates things. From experience Im a bit of a live wire on alcohol, Im fairly chatty and love a laugh but if Im in a bad mood (which is rare these days, more chance of findng a new job than finding me in a bad mood) and Im drunk I can get terribly dour !

[Sam Lord]

In fact, you will be able to get roaring drunk on a non-alcoholic placebo.

I'm very sceptical about that claim.

[C. Flower]

I'm very sceptical about that claim.

So am I. It's an opinion piece by a "social anthropologist."

This basic fact has been proved time and again, not just in qualitative cross-cultural research, but also in carefully controlled scientific experiments - double-blind, placebos and all. To put it very simply, the experiments show that when people think they are drinking alcohol, they behave according to their cultural beliefs about the behavioural effects of alcohol.

She doesn't cite any of her sources.

[Andrew49]

The research in Italy, in particular, shows clearly that the associations between drinking and aggression which we find in Britain, are almost completely absent in that country. Italians have very different expectations concerning the effects of alcohol and the behaviour which is likely to result even among the young social groups which frequent the birrerias and discotheques throughout their country. There is, of course, violence and disorder in many Italian social settings. The Italian reporting of these events, however, generally fails to attach blame to the consumption of alcohol, stressing social factors instead. Only in relation to drink-driving are restrictions on alcohol consumption usually suggested.

Drinking and Public Disorder - Dr Peter Marsh & Kate Fox 1992 !!!

Social Issues Research Centre

[C. Flower]

The research in Italy, in particular, shows clearly that the associations between drinking and aggression which we find in Britain, are almost completely absent in that country. Italians have very different expectations concerning the effects of alcohol and the behaviour which is likely to result even among the young social groups which frequent the birrerias and discotheques throughout their country. There is, of course, violence and disorder in many Italian social settings. The Italian reporting of these events, however, generally fails to attach blame to the consumption of alcohol, stressing social factors instead. Only in relation to drink-driving are restrictions on alcohol consumption usually suggested.

Drinking and Public Disorder - Dr Peter Marsh & Kate Fox 1992 !!!

Social Issues Research Centre

Yes, but they also don't binge drink so much perhaps?

People in some northern countries go out to drink themselves drunk, and consume a lot of alchohol fast.

It is beginning to happen with young people in Spain, too.

I don't see any sign of objective analysis in that BBC piece.

[eamo]

Alcohol doesn't make you drunk!

Well my better half and me are heading over to our local shortly, and if we are as sober coming home as we are going out there is going to be a stewards inquiry, and I shudder to think what some of the regulars will have to say about this news

[Fraxinus]

I'm very sceptical about that claim.

I'm not. Have seen it happen a gregarious fella that used to love getting pi55ed and becoming the life and soul of the party. He was great craic but he used to go from sober to fecked in no time and me and my housemates used to speculate whether or not some or all of it was put on. Sure enough one night when he was told he was being given vodka and lucozade he got "twisted" only for it to turn out that there was no vodka in the drink. He had two beers just before that and there is no way they had that effect....pure placebo.

[Sam Lord]

I'm not. Have seen it happen a gregarious fella that used to love getting pi55ed and becoming the life and soul of the party. He was great craic but he used to go from sober to fecked in no time and me and my housemates used to speculate whether or not some or all of it was put on. Sure enough one night when he was told he was being given vodka and lucozade he got "twisted" only for it to turn out that there was no vodka in the drink. He had two beers just before that and there is no way they had that effect....pure placebo.

I think two beers and a lot of put on is more likely ...

[Griska]

Drunk on a placebo, and then into the car.
What happens then??

[TotalMayhem]

I'm very sceptical about that claim.

An rightly so... tried all afternoon, didn't work! Eventually resorted to Sweden's finest and all is well again.

[eamo]

Back from pub. We both agree.
Good news.
Alcohol still works!!
Night all

[TotalMayhem]

Back from pub. We both agree.
Good news.
Alcohol still works!!

The lengths we go to to prove the British newsies wrong...

[Baron von Biffo]

Back from pub. We both agree.
Good news.
Alcohol still works!!
Night all

In the mood then?