Please Note: Revised and updated on 15th September 2007.
The alcohol industry and the “alcohol authorities”* make the general public to believe that the alcohol drinkers have been given the “choice” to consume any alcohol drinks made available in the market under their license! But at the same time they seriously warn them not to “misuse” or indulge into excessive alcohol consumption that could lead them into fatal alcohol(ism) problems, which includes drunk driving! It would be their own fault if they fall into it. So if they consume the drink they should do it moderately and keep it under the control or limit. In case if they get into its excessive consumption then they should take its full responsibility and bear all its terrible consequences! They should not blame it on anyone else except on themselves!
* “alcohol authorities”: It involves all those people who are basically involved in the alcohol research, prevention treatment and the policy that finally license the high alcohol content Standard Alcohol Drinks (SADs) for public consumption.However what the public doesn’t know is that the authorities knowingly or unknowingly hide a critical factor that cause almost all alcoholism problems. It is about the alcohol drinks, all the alcohol research epidemiological surveys in general basically points to the fact that almost all those alcohol(ism) problem including the drunk driving happens to those people as a result of their consuming mainly the HIGH ALCOHOL CONTENT beverages ( that includes the standard “beer” having around 5% alcohol) all of which have been licensed by the authorities in the named of “Standard alcohol Drinks” (SADs*). On the other hand there are no fundamental research evidences or statistics that fundamentally suggests that the consumption of LOW Alcohol Drinks (LADs) having alcohol around 2% or less results or causes any of these alcoholism problems (including the drunk driving ). This clearly shows that the “choice” between the high and low alcohol drinks does indeed can make a fundamental difference and play critical roles in making or breaking the alcoholism problems! However the alcohol authorities due to a ongoing major “Alcohol Research Misconduct”*** still maintain that “all alcohol drinks irrespective of the alcohol content in them HIGH or LOW some how equally and potentially cause alcoholism problems”.
* Standard Alcohol Drinks (SADs):- The most popular among the SADs is the standard beer that contains around 5% alcohol. It contains the lowest alcohol content in the SADs list but its alcohol content still very high that can trecherously lead its drinkers into excessive alcohol consumption. However due to its lowest rank in the SAD list it gives a wrong impression that the standard “beer” contains low alcohol content in the drinking standards. Therefore many vulnerable people due to their voluptuous, excessive or the binge drinking nature opt for drinking this beer under the assumption that the lower alcohol content of this beer would not so much increase their alcohol consumption over the given limit to that excessive amount. But unfortunately they get it totally wrong and misled.**Low Alchol Drinks (LADs):- We consider the alcohol drinks which contains 2% or less alcohol content (which is roughly around half of the alcohol content of the standard beer) as the low alcohol drinks.*** Alcohol Research Misconduct: -I have explained this matter extensively and published its many papers. Its principle document entitled “Alcohol Research Misconduct” is the central issue of this blog site http://alcohol-research-misconduct.blogspot.com . Also the website: http://www.geocities.com/scientific_misconduct mainly remain dedicated to this central issue.However, after some deep persuasion for a honest debate, some of the authorities finally agree to the fact that what we have uncovered years before on this matter that they admit that they also didn’t find any such research evidence to prove that the low alcohol drinks (that I point out as having around 2% or less alcohol content) causing any such alcoholism problems. However they argue this is not enough reason to withdraw the license or ban the sales of the SADs. They still stick to their old position that says; it is mainly the choice of the alcohol drinkers to select any of the alcohol drinks as they like. At the same time it is also the drinkers own responsibility not to indulge into excessive alcohol consumption whether they consume the SADs or the LADs!
The alcohol authorities who put forward such argument simply seems to forget that alcohol is a statutory drug! If any of it having the drug concentration more than a stipulated safe limit that if proves potentially dangerous to the public consumption then its license immediately revoked or cancelled! It is only in a lower dosages when it is proven safe for people then only it is been allowed for the general public consumption. Every one knows that this substance alcohol in a drink extremely dangerous if in high concentration! Therefore the authoritiesf place strict regulations restrictions over it! The place and times of its sales severely restricted, its consumption not allowed in the public places. Its use banned in all work places, academic institutions, underage people. Drunk driving considered as a serious offence.
Now comes the following question. If the alcohol is considered to be such a dangerous substance then why the alcohol authorities license it for the public consumption? Why not enforce total ban (prohibition) on all alcohol drinks so to eliminate the entire alcoholism problem?
There are two main reasons, which keeps away the authorities from imposing total alcohol prohibition! The first one is; majority of people who consume the alcohol drinks do it safely or moderately without any such alcohol or alcoholism problems. Moreover the “Moderate” alcohol drinking considered beneficial to the health as it said to increase the drinkers longevity according to its health research statistics! The second main reason that is equally important as the first one if not more is; it is a very well established fact that total prohibition or banning of all alcohol drinks gives raise to so many of the underground, illegal, alcohol smuggling trade, bootlegging criminal mafia, corruption etc., which are far worse than not having the alcohol prohibition!
Therefore, authorities license the alcohol drinks and permit its consumption on the ground to prevent the criminalization of the total prohibition and on the other hand to allow the drink for a safe, moderate or healthy alcohol consumption. To ensure this it places heavy supervision, stringent rules and regulations to prevent its misuse or excessive consumption!
So now comes the main question; if the alcohol authorities license the alcohol drinks to fulfill the above mentioned two purpose or goals then what is the necessity for them for licensing the HIGH alcohol content SADs that dangerously expose its drinker especially for those alcohol vulnerable, gullibles to the extreem risk of excessive alcohol consumption, that makes them to get drunk and most dangerouly above all makes them “driving impaired” if a need to drive arise as it mostly happens to be the case! While in fact they (authorities) have these LADs, which can greatly help to keep BAC levels down below a certain safe limit even after consuming a substantial amount of the alcohol drink. Meanwhile it can safely allow the moderate alcohol consumption but at the same time make it considerably difficult to excessive alcohol consumption. Therefore it can safely serve both the intended purpose of Gov. licensing of the alcohol drinks! On the one hand it will allow the moderate alcohol consumption very safely for the public consumption but at the same time it will also prevent most of the criminalization that arise due to the Total alcohol drink Prohibition!
However the authorities still stick to their old position they argue that “we or any one do not force or compel any people to consume the SADs, it is primarily the drinkers choice! It is not right to impose ban or severe restriction on the SADs just because it leads the vulnerable people into excessive alcohol consumption and into the alcoholism problems. The vulnerable people should not drink the alcohol at all if they have any problems with it! Or to drink whatever Low-alcohol drinks if they find it safe at all!
It is mainly to defend or justify their dogmatic position (alcohol research misconduct) that authorities put forward such unscrupulous argument. However it is the alcohol industry that stands to mostly gain from the alcohol authorities decision to license the high alcohol content SADs for the public consumption! Higher the alcohol content in the drink fetch them higher price as it multiplies their profit. SADs also opens up a wider market opportunity to produce hundreds of its varieties at its broader range!
Thereafter to attain their highest profit margin, alcohol industry mainly focus these SADs in their alcohol marketing campaign, media, advertisements, hoardings, banners, sponsorship movies etc., All of them glamorize the SADs. They attribute all the imaginary qualities to it that boost about high powers, super strength that can provide great pleasures and make its drinkers super heroes.
In front of this SADs grandeur the LADs image becomes dwarfed. The SADs make it seem like insignificant, inferior below the alcohol standards. It is mainly for those who can not handle their alcohol drink, for the weak and the frails! The stronger adults do not choose such insignificant LOW alcohol content drinks, which lower their status!
Among its target are those alcohol vulnerable, gullible drinkers who easily fall into such seductive appeal of the SADs enticing bewithments and readily make a choice of drinking it. But unfortunately the high alcohol content in the drink effortlessly carries or flies them into dangerous excessive alcohol consumption that quickly impairs their judgment and perhaps actually makes them feel like super hero who can handle anyone or any thing including their Vehicle. So they get behind the wheels and drive like super heroes. Unfortunately they become the victims of the SADs and were called Drunk Drivers thereafter!
It is quite ironic that the alcohol authorities license theses SADs. Even though they know the alcohol content in them is very high and it potentially cause alcoholism problems. By allowing dangerously high alcohol content in the drinks they abandon the safety regulations involved in the licensing of the drug. They abandon their responsibility of protecting the public health in the name of giving the alcohol drinkers the right or choice consuming high alcohol content drinks! It is no where more true when it comes to going over the BAC limit and becoming drunk drivers, who not only endangers their life but also without warning suddenly bring in total devastations on thousands of other peoples life. Most terrbly its killing of those hundreds of innocents!
Now suddenly the law enforcement authorities wake up and heavily come upon the drunk driver. But it is already too late for the innocent victims! Now the authorities main solution for this is to lock the condemned person (that some times includes the celebrities) behind the bars, make them to undergo the harsh drunk driving punishment also to send them into the “Mandatory Substance Abuse Assessment and Treatment”! All of them being told that it is mainly due to their maladapted behavior. Perhaps it is alcoholic gene present in them that cause its disease! They have no control over their drinking therefore they should completely give up alcohol drinking forever. However the authorities seems to not even aware that the high alcohol content which they license for the public consumption perhaps causing this drunk driving, alcoholism disease mayhem in the first place!
Finally let me conclude. The alcohol authorities due to their alcohol research misconduct (its principle paper
http://alcohol-research-misconduct.blogspot.com/2007/09/alcohol-research-misconduct.html ) allow high alcohol content in the drink that dangerously leads the drinker into excessive alcohol consumption and into various alcoholism problems including the drunk driving. Ironically however the authorities put the entire blame on the person who had fallen into these alcoholism problems that includes the drunk driving and totally escape from their primary responsibility in licensing these high alcohol content SADs so causing these alcoholism problems in the first place! Hereby I call up on all the victims of the alcoholism problems most importantly the drunk driving to join in to expose this primary cause of the “Drunk Driving” so to prevent it from happening.
Valerian Texeira
Alcoholics Curewell
http://alcoholicscurewell.blogspot.com/http://www.geocities.com/alcoholics_curewellhttp://alcohol-research-misconduct.blogspot.com/http://www.geocities.com/scientific_misconduct
Please Note: When I say “Drunk Driving” (DD) it also includes various Alcohol Use Disorders, Dependence, they are closely related and as a whole called as the Alcoholism Problems.Labels: Drunk Driving
