Something to Drink About
Something to Drink About
An examination of the history and effects of alcohol abuse
Throughout history, humankind has overcome a variety of difficulties to become the dominant life form on the planet. Yes, before ascending to the dizzying heights of Twitter feuds, treadmill desks, and the resurgence of the mullet hairstyle, our supremacy was challenged several times. These challenges included plagues spread by rat fleas, wars, natural disasters, winged monkeys and dinosaurs, according to my nephew. While these disasters are indeed horrible, they are relatively rare (or nonexistent, in the case of the dinosaurs,) the real threats likely to actually affect you, as a person, are far more insidious. They aren’t likely to be on the nightly news nor are they likely to be the subject of a Hollywood movie, they are ever present as they are dangerous, and in some cases delicious (unlike the rat plague.)
Archeologically speaking, the current belief is that ancient China produced the first alcoholic beverage known as Baiju (a mix of rice, honey, grapes, and other fruit fermented in unsanitary conditions before the advent of quality control.) This drink was used to transcend the mortal plane and commune with dead relatives and the very gods themselves (unlike today, where it is used to play beer pong and commune with equally desperate people at closing time.)
There also exists evidence that this practice goes much farther back than that, like “swinging from trees” era of mankind, but more on that later. The point is, civilization, and inebriation, go hand in hand, historically speaking that is. The process of drunkenness was not limited to just accidentally leaving anything sweet out in the sun to get all bubbly though, the process was refined and improved upon. It even contributed to the rise (and fall) of major empires throughout the known world.
As far back as 10,000 years, evidence exists that man brewed a rudimentary form of alcohol in jars. These were made from honey and yeast, which produces a beverage known as “mead” to this very day. It was a favorite of the Vikings, who are best remembered for absence of hygiene and pillaging England and Europe. Now, to be fair, 10,000 years ago there weren’t Vikings looting the clergy, but whoever was drinking yeasty honey was probably just as unhygienic and violent.
Sometime around 6,000 B.C., the first recorded instance of vineyards of grapes being used exclusively for wine production occurred. While there were hardly bustling trade routes at that time (most daily activities revolved around not getting eaten by wolves,) the advent of specific agricultural resources being devoted to non-survival related foodstuffs was significant. So significant, in fact, that it was not simply the Viking’s great grandfathers and a bunch of grape growing Russians that found value in alcohol.
As far back as 3,000 B.C., Egypt specialized in exporting beers and wines to fund their empire (this might mean that coupled with the fact that Egypt had the written word at that time, the first bar tab was written as well. Along with the first guy to duck out on paying that tab.) While Egypt at the time was ruled by the pharos, Egypt became the center of civilization. Trade routes ensured exportation of goods, and nothing was “gooder” than alcohol. While the end product was valuable, more valuable were the methods in which to produce that product. Hence, brewing and winemaking were exported along those routes as well. Soon, all areas of the modern-day Middle East and North Africa were able to produce their own local vintages from whatever materials they had available.
While China and Egypt may have recognized the commercial value of old grape juice, the Greeks and Romans took it a little further, they went ahead and worshipped a God of wine. Dionysus, Bacchus, or Liber Pater, and Libera served as a societal representation of the importance of alcohol in daily life. The Roman Liber and Libera (the god and goddess of wine) served as part of a social order known as the Aventine Triad. Now, while a cult of wine drinkers may sound like something out of a lower tier college, they actually formed the backbone of Roman society.
Comprised of the plebians, the Aventine Triad was sort of a religious cult of the common man. From day laborers that maintained the vast infrastructure to the soldiers that guarded the frontiers, the plebians were the necessary lifeblood of the Roman empire, and alcohol was apparently necessary in the lifeblood of the plebs. God’s orders. Far from a simple (but awesome sounding) drinking club, this order held significant political power in the Roman military and politics. While worship of an alcoholic deity may seem counterproductive with regards to keeping the peace (see: any bar on a Saturday night,) this confederation gave a voice to Rome’s more common citizens. This pressure valve went far to vent the buildup of tensions that were rife at the time. In point of fact, political discourse would be linked heavily to alcohol, but more on that later. The takeaway is that for the first time, alcohol was not merely a source of recreation or commerce, it was a base of political authority, as well as codified in a religious sense.
Speaking of religions, it was not merely the Greeks and Romans who enjoyed a drink (among other things, but this is PG, so let us move on...) While almost all rudimentary religions used alcohol to commune with the other side, celebrate holy days, as a rite of passage, or simply to pass the time, modern religions also had strong feelings on the subject. These ranged from open acceptance, cautious acceptance, warnings against overconsumption, to strict prohibition.
As early as 500 B.C., the practitioners of Judaism were using wine for all manner of reason. These ranged from religious ceremonies to cultural gatherings. Yup, want to take the edge off Hebrew school lessons? A few belts of Manischewitz will go quite nicely with all the stories of Saul and Ruth (a bit reductionist, but they did combine alcohol with ceremony.) Weddings and funerals qualified as did most holidays. In fact, culturally speaking, alcohol was widely respected as a necessity of life. From medicine to actual war provisions, alcohol was a commodity of common use no matter the age.
Christianity, which stems from Judaism, continued this tradition of combining wine with the will of the Lord. Jesus Christ, they say, turned water into wine. At the Last Supper, it is said he drank (and considering what happened to him very soon after, a good stiff drink is certainly understandable.) In fact, it was at the Last Supper that he asked his apostles to eat bread and drink wine to become one with him. The practice known today as “transubstantiation” is a Catholic belief that the bread and wine literally transformed into the flesh and blood of the Lord (meaning the Lord had a blood alcohol content that would land him in jail today.) Even sects of Christianity that do not take this claim literally, they still practice communion with wafers and wine (though some use grape juice, so, wine-light.)
Instances of drunkenness in The Bible (Old Testament for the Jewish people and New Testament for Christians, not a perfect comparison, but this is about drinking, not deep contemplations on the afterlife,) are generally disapproved. Man is warned against drunkenness (not just drinking, but over drinking) as it leads to lapses of morality (this is true, I can attest.) There are examples of drinking leading to questionable decisions or lapses of character. Overindulgence of alcohol is specifically mentioned as well. To be fair, the same passage (Proverbs 23:20-21) warns against overeating meat. The gist seems to be a warning against gluttony, as opposed to alcoholism. So, overdrinking may be said to be a sin of gluttony, but drunkenness itself is not expressly a sin (at least not any of the seven deadly ones.) To this day, several sects of Christianity abstain completely from alcohol, though the mainstream adherents, be they Catholic or Protestant, can normally be found at the corner bar about twenty minutes after mass is concluded.
Buddhism and Hinduism, in their delightfully neutral way, takes a middle ground position. Alcohol may be drunk, but you better not be. This means that Buddhists may drink up to the point of intoxication (quite the feat, as the breathalyzer was not invented at the time.) For this, and other reasons, many Buddhists simply abstain from alcohol altogether. Some sects of Hinduism abstain as well, but the main consensus is that, like the Christians and Jews, alcohol has its uses, just do not overuse it. Wines and herbal drinks are commonplace as well.
This is not to say that all religions and cultures embraced alcohol. Islam strictly prohibits the indulgence of any beverage from grain or grape (beer or wine.) Not only the act of overdrinking, but drinking itself is forbidden (well, grain or grape. Technically, as we discussed earlier, mead comes from honey, so maybe that’s aces. I would not risk it.) For the entirety of the religion, alcohol has been forbidden. This is quite the accomplishment, as most religions and cultures tend to ebb and flow regarding their treatment of the Devil Rum. So, right or wrong, the disciples of Muhammed get points for consistency.
Time, in its infinite progression, ground on. Humankind, in its infinite ability to get bored with a good thing, decided beer and wine were not enough. Sometime around 1100 A.D. in Italy, the process of distilling was perfected (or perfected enough to be credited in history books.) To understand what this means, perhaps a brief interlude is in order for me to explain the process of alcohol production. This will allow you to understand just how easy it was for our ancestors to invent the hangover.
The brewing process is not terribly complicated. Whether one wishes to make beer (beverage from cereal grains) or wine (beverage from fruit or honey,) the point is the same: turn sugar into alcohol. For making beer, one cracks the grains in order to expose them to water, almost like brewing tea. Boiled water is used with these grains to create a porridge like concoction known as wort. Wort is unfermented beer. During this time, additives like hops (a cone looking plant used to add bitterness) or any other flavoring agent are added. Once the wort is reduced to room temperature, yeast is added to begin its life feasting on the natural sugars exposed in the brewing process. The wort is hidden away from prying eyes (and bugs, believe me when I tell you, every bug from Texas to Timbuktu will be headed towards fermenting beer,) and open air (yeasts and molds can contaminate the beer.) So, millions of microscopic critters and a few weeks later, the final product is produced. As the yeast eats sugar, it expels carbon dioxide and alcohol. At a certain point, and depending on the type of yeast being used, the alcohol level reaches the point where the beer becomes lethal to the yeast. This ends the fermentation cycle. All one need do at this point is store it where it lasts for years (depending on the container.)
Wine? Well, despite what vintners (wine makers) say, the process is even easier. In earlier times, the fruit was mashed in a large enough vessel, and the wild yeasts on the skins of the fruit began the process. No boiling of water nor steeping grains. Just a bunch of mashed up fruit and juice. Leave it alone, keep bugs (thought the beer was bad, wait until the bugs know you have fruit juice laying around,) and oxygen out, and you get wine in a month. This process is so easy, if you have a bottle of grape juice, a pack of yeast, some sugar and time, you got wine. In fact, wine is so easy to produce, it is commonly made in prison. That is correct, a place where people have access to no special equipment and are literally under lock and key, commonly make wine. Now, this is not exactly wine one would want to voluntarily choose, but “toilet wine” is nevertheless wine (called toilet wine because it is commonly made using fruit, bread, and raisins in a plastic bag hidden, you guessed it, a toilet.)
This is brewing. Distilling? Well, that is a tad more complicated. It requires spiral tubing, copper pots and tubes, fires, screaming, potential explosions, blindness, and federal agents kicking in your door. More on this later, just know that distilling takes the alcohol from brewing and concentrating it by evaporating and separating the pure alcohol. Here is a quick guide to get you started: Whiskey/Bourbon/Rye/Scotch come from corn or wheat, Vodka comes from potatoes, Gin from juniper berries (I know, I thought it was rubbing alcohol soaked with pinecones too, but alas, I was wrong,) rum comes from sugar cane, and tequila comes from the devil. Or agave, I forget which.
For early history however, brewing was the mainstay of producing alcohol. This is mainly because of the relative ease of the process. While distilling is in fact a far more productive way of murdering brain cells, it requires complex equipment simply not available before the industrial revolution. After all, the only thing better than getting drunk, is doing so with minimum effort. If you are going to be gluttonous, you might as well be slothful too.
When it came to drinking, the Middle Ages produced many advancements that allowed mass production of beers, wines, and meads. While the metalwork necessary for distilleries may have been labor intensive and expensive, brewing only requires a container the size you wish to fill. So, they made barrels. Giant, ridiculously proportioned barrels. In caves.
Around this time, geography produced diverse types of beer. Ales, mainly an English specialty, was fermented at room temperature and had a sweeter, mild flavor. Lagers, a continental European contribution to the war on livers, fermented in cooler areas and were distinctly crisper and bitter. Local regions became famous, or at least known for, their particular recipes and product. Beer steins and fields of hops became prevalent on family crests of nobles as well as the advent of beer gardens. These are exactly like how they sound, giant open air drinking areas. This is how the beer stein obtained its signature hinged lid. Lots of birds up in those trees, cannot have them turning your giant mug of beer into a toilet, now can we.
Family names also changed to reflect the specialty trade. At the time, family surnames of commoners tended to reflect their profession. Smith, Fletcher, Thatcher, Cooper, and many other European names stem from this practice (as a side note, it is estimated by some that the reason Smith is so common is because one does not send their arms producers off to die in wars. So, while Nigel Streetcleaner went off to get an axe to the face, Miles Smith stayed at home churning out the swords.) New names began to pop up that remain to this day. Brewer, Bierman, Porter, Schroter, Goodwin, and many others sprung up.
Beer production especially became prevalent in monasteries, of all places. Apparently, when you put a bunch of men alone in the woods, it is only a matter of time before they need to get drunk. Medieval engravings, paintings, and stories all depict friars and monks brewing massive amounts of alcohol. They did so for themselves as well as export to the masses. In doing so, they generated quite an amount of wealth for those who took a vow of poverty as more of a suggestion, than a set law. This made being a monk or friar quite an attractive vocation, in point of fact, as the sack cloth wearing hermit gave way to a wealthy drunkard with an inexhaustible supply of social lubrication.
The reason for the popularity of beers or wine at this time is sometimes credited to the notion that alcoholic beverages were safer to drink than water at the time. While this may be true in certain instances, such as major cities devoid of plumbing, it is not likely that this was the main motivation on rural farms or townships. No, it is far more likely they imbibed because it was enjoyable. It is also suspected that beers at the time were considerably weaker than their modern counterparts, so relying on these “small beers” to make fetid waters safe is largely a myth. Albeit a fun one.
With the advent of commercially produced beers, wines, and ciders, the tavern also came to prominence. While initially a basic form of hotel and restaurant, the tavern came into its own when it began slinging drinks. Taverns became the hub of a city, town, or village. They became the gathering place where all matters were discussed, and politics were practiced. Revolutions were planned, conspiracies hatched, all manner of cahooting and cavorting occurred amid the bustling drunkards. Taverns and pubs soon rivaled the church itself as the main center of a settlement. It was not unusual for conversations that began at the pulpit ended at the barstool (well, probably a chair, stools weren’t really a thing in the Middle Ages.)
Armies were issued ale as a standard ration as well in this period. Again, some historians sometimes believe this is due to water quality while others simply believe that if you want to get a bunch of men to club each other to death, you are going to want to get them drunk first. No matter the exact reason, mass quantities of beer were used in this period for that purpose. It was also doled out to the peasantry to quiet their grumblings. Where the Romans had their “Bread and Circuses” philosophy of distracting the plebians from their revolts, the Medieval ruler had the “This Oughta Shut Them Up,” approach. This led to quite a few holidays, festivals, and other occasions that suddenly became observed by a thirsty populace.
For better or worse, brewing played an intricate role in sustaining civilization through the Dark and Middle Ages. It would be the Rennaissance and later the Enlightenment where alcohol would conquer the globe (along with an alarming amount of gunpowder and powdered wigs.) While distilling alcohol was a somewhat rare process in the Middle Ages, technological developments allowed for mass production of strong, cheap alcohol in times that followed. It would be in these later periods where alcohol not only rose to prominence, but shaped the world and culture in ways that rivaled church, literature, and art. It would be during the Rennaissance period where alcohol became not only a global trade, but an empire creator.
The first laws regarding alcohol production and consumption were implemented in this period as well. The German Purity Laws (no, I know what you are thinking, but these were beer laws, not the WW2 ones,) established that only water, hops, and barley were acceptable ingredients in beermaking. Guilds that self-regulated production and pricing were established in England, France, and Germany as well. The Holy Roman Emperor decreed severe punishments for drunkenness while the Scottish parliament imposed severe punishments on adulteration of alcoholic beverages (watering it down or using substandard ingredients.) Commercial breweries were established in Switzerland right around the time Sweden began distilling alcohol from beer. The point was that Europe and Britain were making strides in the regulation, production, and regulation of alcohol. Brewers were forbidden in England from making their own barrels (this done to protect the barrel makers.) Licensing and regulation of taverns also became commonplace as well. As today, whenever an advancement was made on anything enjoyable, a bureaucrat soon followed to tell the people it how to do it, and how much to pay for the privilege.
Culturally speaking, wines were commonplace on the tables of nobility and commoner alike. Used in food preparation, medical purposes, recreation, and necessity, wine was on more tables than water. While drunkenness was frowned upon, by and large alcohol itself was viewed very favorably by everyone from the day beggar to the bishop, in European society. Overconsumption was recognized as a growing problem, as it always had been, but still the official position of most governments and churches was that alcohol was God’s gift to us, but one to be used with reasonable restraint (because reasonable restraint is a common side effect of drinking too much alcohol.) In Japan, however, it was considered an insult to remain sober at any social function hosted by another. It is rumored that the practice of faking being drunk was observed by many a man who in fact did not drink. They even went to far as to write their thank you notes with a shaky hand to simulate a hangover. It is also somewhat noteworthy that that the practice of proposing toasts with alcohol was warned against by a German professor who declared that they too often led to duels. So it came to pass that drinking leading to fighting words was established in Germany (because of course it was.)
Alcohol consumption was indeed high during this time. From England to Poland, Denmark to Spain, alcohol consumption could reach as high as a gallon a day for laborers and sailors. Sweden alone in this period consumed as much as 40 times more beer than its modern iteration. While distilled spirits were available in this period, it remained a specialty creation largely used for medicinal purposes. The Russian Tsar Vasilly (1505-1532) III went so far as to permit his court to consume all the alcohol they wanted, provided they did so out of the view of the public, as to not corrupt the lower class.
Globally, Africans enjoyed alcohol as did many areas of the Americas along with Europe, forming a sort of triangle on a map (this is called foreshadowing in the writing business.) This is not to say all, however. The Aztecs in particular forbid alcohol in the same way Islamic law did, and many Native Americans were familiar with brewing, but used it only sparingly, rarely recreational. This would change though, as a couple of boats with Spanish names were heading on over to the New World, and they weren’t exactly the sober type.
For his many accomplishments and faults, Christopher Columbus began what would become the rum industry in the Americas on the ironically named Virgin Islands (anyone who knows rum, knows that... Never mind, let us move on.) This seemingly mundane act would begin a triangle of trade that would shape the history of humanity as well as horrify any who view history with a sense of morality. Yes, the act of taking sugar from the Canary Islands and planting it on St. Croix to be processed, the foundation was laid for an insidious force whose consequence reverberate even today.
While distilling alcohol was a somewhat rare process in the Middle Ages, technological developments allowed for mass production of strong, cheap alcohol in times that followed. It would be in these later periods where alcohol not only rose to prominence, but shaped the world and culture in ways that rivaled church, literature, and art. It would be during the Rennaissance period where the seeds of consequence were planted, with regards to the global implications of mass alcohol production. During the Age of Discovery that followed, those seeds became vines that reached across continents, enriching many, strangling more.
Alcohol technology advanced in strides in the 16-17th century that followed the Enlightenment. Everything from strengthened glass bottles sealed with corks to distilled drinks becoming as common as brewed. With the popularity of distilled beverages increasing, the supply needed to increase as well. Luckily for the thirsty masses (unluckily for a certain continent of people,) mass plantations for sugar and molasses had been established in the Caribbean already. Couple this with industrial sized distilleries in England and Sapin and all one needed was a ready supply of labor, which is where Africa joined the equation. Known as the “Triangle Trade,” the process was as simple as it was nefarious. Rum was traded for West African slaves, who were then traded to the West Indies for molasses and sugar, who then shipped the raw materials back to England and Europe, who used the finished product to finance the entire process over again.
As demand increased for rum exceeded overseas production, distilleries also sprung up in the colonies from Massachusetts to the Carolinas. People had indeed become partial to rum drinks. Whereas the residents of the Middle Ages believed alcohol a gift from God to be enjoyed, the American colonists did their best to live up to this tradition. Connecticut, in fact, had an ordinance requiring all towns to ensure an establishment existed to provide ales to the public (for a price of course, communism had not been invented yet.) In fact, records of the period showed that the sons of tavern owners rivalled those of the clergy in enrollment at Harvard University. Bar owning went from having a dark back room where schemes were hatched to financing future elites of society.
As for the view that temperance was becoming a philosophy gaining traction, this was indeed true. All along, the public view of alcohol consumption walked a shaky rope between socially, and religiously acceptable amounts and sinful overindulgence. A very shaky rope indeed (especially after a few drinks.) Temperance, however, was a relative term.
A temperance society in Germany was founded on the premise that the members refrain from drinking more than seven glasses of wine with a meal, and even then, no more than two times per day. Not to nitpick, but 14 glasses of wine a day was not exactly teetotalling. Luckily, they also pledged to refrain from “full guzzling” of for two years (not permanently thought, that would just be silly.)
Also, while the English Parliament passed the “Act to Repress the Odious and Loathsome Sin of Drunkenness,) the Puritans loaded more beer than water on the Mayflower before leaving and the reason they cut the trip short at Plymouth may have been due to a shortage of beer (making it the first recorded instance of the modern day “beer run.”) Even prestigious universities had breweries on campus to ensure the dining halls were stocked with beer.
Still, society did finally begin to confront the dangers of alcohol, but then walked a tightrope of their own: to regulate the consumption for the common good, or to tax it for the coffer good.
Governor John Winthrop of Massachusetts tried to outlaw alcohol altogether in 1630 (notice how I used the word “tried.”) Holland ordered the closing of drinking establishments during religious services as well as after 9:00 at night. The concept of “closing time” was forever enshrined (much to the chagrin of all college students to this very day.) Massachusetts did go so far as to attempt to moderate drinking by imposing control, or at least place responsibility, on the tavern keepers, beginning the tradition of bartenders cutting off service to inebriated patrons (again, to the consternation of college students to this very day.) Many other localities and regions had laws and ordinances to affect the consumption levels of drinking. Still, the population still wanted alcohol. As a strange aside, Parliament was once petitioned to prohibit coffee, tea, and chocolate due to their effect on grain production. Grain better used to make beer. Parliament declined to act.
Yet the signals were still somewhat mixed. New breweries and distilleries were established to maintain a steady supply of alcohol. Monarchs like King Frederick II of Prussia imposed taxes on coffee to increase consumption of beer, as much of his revenue came from brewing. Catherine the Great established a system of monopolies as well in an attempt to increase imperial Russian coffers. While taverns were licensed and promoted as essential to all towns and villages, unlicensed taverns might lead to the owner being publicly whipped. In Maryland, a law designed to promote establishing inns permitted a monopoly, ensuring travel, commerce, and the availability of alcohol. The British Royal Navy included rations of alcohol (rum) in 1655 that continued until 1970. In fact, the process of mixing rum, water and citrus fruits created a drink known as grog. This practice served many purposes: Water preservation chemicals were nonexistent, leading to a ship’s supply of fresh water becoming unreliable days into a journey. This was due to the growth of bacteria, mold, mildew, and all manner of vileness. The alcohol slowed this process exponentially. The limes, lemons, and other fruits provided necessary vitamins to stave off diseases such as scurvy as well. Finally, alcohol raised morale, and on a ship full of axes, hammers, swords, and all implements of violence known to man, high morale is generally hoped for. Seen in this light, militarily speaking, the effective range of naval vessels increased to the point where a seemingly small island nation of England could (and did) become a global superpower that spanned the world (the actual term later would be “The Sun Never Sets on the British Empire.”) That is not to say that alcohol alone accomplished this, but it certainly played a part.
Finally, an event would happen in this period that began in the taverns that can be said to have started the decline of the Age of Empires. This event began in the grumblings of subjects ruled over by far away royalty. These men, common and aristocrat both, began their contemplations in many places, but mainly in the tavern.
The American Revolution (and later the French) would begin an experiment never before attempted. Relying heavily on Enlightenment philosophies of personal freedom and sovereignty, they rejected the notion that God anointed certain among us to rule using a Divine Right of Kings. They took the previous works such as the Magna Carta and penned the Declaration of Independence (well, there were many writings before this, but in the interest of brevity, let us just stick with this.) In the war that followed, a new nation was founded that would much later become the world’s superpower that affects all other nations on the globe. The creation of this nation, and all the rights, privileges, and ideals therein, can be said to have been birthed in the humble tavern (along with several STDs and probably cirrhosis.)
So, for as long as man has decided to gather around other men, he discovered a very immutable fact: with few exceptions, other men are boring. The alternative, however, to languish eternally alone in a cave, dodging monster centipedes and eating moss, was worse. What was needed was a social lubricant. A substance that increased intelligence, charisma, one’s sense of self-worth, and physical attractiveness, the substance of alcohol, and humanity delivered.
Perhaps a bit too well.
A variety of factors affect the overconsumption of alcohol in the modern era. They range from societal and cultural to genetic and simple choice. There is, however, a far greater allure of alcohol to the human brain being considered. It all began with a monkey, well, a lot of them.
Known as the “Drunken Monkey Hypothesis,” Dr Robert Dudley of UC Berkeley poses the belief that reliance on fruit as a primary source of food of our furry forebearers continues to affect our desire for ethanol today. The theory is simple, for millions of years, primates existed solely with the purpose to find enough food to survive (and not getting eaten by a giant tiger or something equally horrifying.) Whereas fruit is relatively harmless (except kiwis, never trust hairy fruit,) these early primates evolved over the years to identify the smell of ripening, and fermenting fruit. Being able to follow the ethanol scent that carries easily on the winds, they could find fruit. The levels of ethanol at this point would be incredibly small, so “Drunken Monkey” is a bit much, but it would mean that as humans, we have this same natural attraction ethanol. Unfortunately for us, the monkeys had no need for moderation, so we did not get that from old Grandpa Chimpy. This would mean that at least to some extent, we are evolutionarily wired to seek out alcohol on some level. Luckily for us, this is not a death sentence to forever wander the liquor store aisles, as evidenced by the fact that I am still typing this and not screaming “Sweet Caroline” in a bar somewhere, but it does shed light on why alcohol addiction is so easy to trigger and difficult to overcome.
Societal and cultural factors also affect our consumption of alcohol. Humanity is by design a social animal. Civilization requires us to live in close proximity to one another from the very earliest hunter gathering societies to the metropolis landscapes of today. Say what you will about the dangers of alcohol (and in most cases you will probably be correct,) but as discussed earlier, alcohol is invariably intertwined with our social interactions. It provides a common experience, it assists in overcoming social anxiety, and it allows the illusion of comfort and the raising of spirits (despite being a depressant.) While the opinion of alcoholic beverages seems to wax and wane over time, by and large the vast majority of people believe it to be a net positive for society. The problem becomes when the moderate drinking of a beer after work with friends becomes an entire bottle of boiler room gin alone in the dark to the waking up with no recollection of the evening's affairs and the need for a drink just to calm the hands from shaking (if you have reached this point, it is safe to say you have gone too far.)
Everything from holidays to sporting events are portrayed in modern culture as being ripe for the addition of alcohol (at least in Western culture, though it is not uncommon to find alcohol in nations that expressly forbid it.) While cigarettes and other tobacco products are forbidden to advertise on television and radio, alcohol remains the main sponsor of sporting events and popular culture. Movies and music used to portray drinking as part of the American way. Mimosas are served with brunch with little or no social stigma and happy hour still exists long after sixty minutes have passed. Even Americans though take a back seat with regards to alcohol culture. To this day Britain and France maintain a thriving view of alcoholic lifestyles. It is not uncommon to have wine as a child and during breakfast. The Irish and Scottish, meanwhile, are almost lovingly viewed as nations of barely functioning alcoholics (despite their levels of drinking being statistically inseparable from their fellow Britons.)
It is not merely a Western notion either, that alcohol is still an intricate part of modern society. The Japanese have made an entire ritual of the preparing and serving of rice wine, complete with social stigmas for not imbibing correctly. The Middle East, despite being Islamic, and therefore “dry” of alcohol, still see immense shipments of alcohol imported for their tourism industry. After all, Muhammed said they could not drink alcohol, he said nothing about selling it to visitors. Yes, in every corner of the world, even those corners forbidden by Divine Intervention, one can usually find a drink, if one looks hard enough.
Until relatively recently, even drunkenness was seen as a slightly embarrassing condition, as opposed to a disease. Really more of a failure of moral character than a real crime. Public drunkenness laws were more a crime to rid the streets of undesirables as opposed to any real attempt to control or curb drinking. From the frontier to the city, saloons were as common as street signs. Under those signs were usually a passed-out patron whose courage was greater than their tolerance. They were usually stepped over no differently than an unpleasant rock in the road. A snoring, sometimes particularly unpleasant smelling rock.
There are, however, very real problems associated with overconsumption of alcohol. These problems, despite any attitude of social acceptance of inebriation, do in fact erode all facets of society if left unchecked. In the short term, behavioral changes such as violence and risky behaviors invariably lead to injury and death. These range from fights to accidents and often are serious, if not fatal. Many, if not all bars and drinking establishments maintain a list of former patrons that are forbidden to reenter due to their predilection to fighting or just plain uncivil behavior upon drinking too much. Other violent behaviors can be affected, such as sexual assault and rape. This is not to say that the perpetrators were otherwise saintly people incapable of evil, but he reduced inhibitions of these monsters allow them to act on disgusting behaviors that normally remain hidden away from the unsuspecting public. Not all short-term repercussions are sinister, however, as stated above, accidents ranging from balance issues to depth perception occur very regularly on a daily basis. When one combines these attributes with an automobile one gets drunk driving, which until relatively recently was viewed almost humorously as opposed to the nightmare it can become to an unsuspecting family.
The long-term horrors are even worse, due the insidious nature of their progression. Alcohol is a poison; it kills its parents, after all (remember the millions of poor yeast cells that created it. Poor dead yeast.) It also slowly kills the consumer. It affects blood pressure and contributes to heart disease. It increases the risk of dementia as well as destroying the brain itself. It wreaks havoc on the internal organs and destroys the nervous system. It makes an addict of a person as their tolerance increases, making them require more to get the same effect, resulting in escalating damage to the body.
All this includes the mental punishment. For as the alcohol helps one overcome social anxiety in the short term, as the alcohol plays upon the mind, it actually increases the anxiety the next day. This can lead to not only a physical addition but a mental one. The person not only needs a drink to stave of the physical symptoms of alcohol, they also require it simply to function mentally.
All the while it is portrayed as a
These laid-back attitudes are indeed punctuated by moments in time where temperance or outright prohibition are attempted. These range from the somewhat comical (a woman named Carrie Nation going from saloon to saloon, attacking them with an axe, yes, that is a thing that happened,) to the cartoonishly evil (the government poisoning alcohol during the Prohibition Era to curb people from drinking illegally.) During these moments of attempted control, there are inevitable side effects. One exceptionally large one came during the period in America known as Prohibition (1920-1933.)
In a nutshell, Prohibition simply amended the Constitution of the United States to make the manufacture and sale of alcohol illegal. It was enacted for a variety of reasons, but the effect was the same. Overnight, the traditions, customs, culture, and norms of many communities were suddenly outlawed. One would think that the effect would be that society would bend to the will of the government and move on to a healthier, alcohol-free future. One would be wrong.
Organized crime, bootleggers, smugglers, and gangsters rose to prominence during this time. Known as the “Roaring Twenties,” saloons became speakeasys and large industrial breweries and distilleries were replaced by the small, backyard breweries they supplanted three hundred years prior. Police were corrupted and government officials paid off. Local gangs rose to prominence that became larger than publicly traded companies. Men with tommy guns and suits were suddenly portrayed on the big screens of Hollywood. In public, many people condemned the new “hoodlums” that operated illicit businesses in every city in the nation, but privately, most people flocked to their establishments. For as these government officials attempted to stamp out humanity’s fascination with vice, all they did was create a terrifying new monster that remains to this day. The basic truth was that no matter how hard one tries, one cannot force one to abandon sin (absent maybe a giant flood and Ark, perhaps.)
Modern methods to combat alcoholism vary. Many find hope in support groups that rely on anonymity to provide a safe environment to discover the causes of abuse. Others focus on spirituality, while still more attempt to halt the abuse by shocking the psyche of the patient using military style discipline and exercise. Antabuse is a drug prescribed in many instances as of late. The idea is simple, cause physical illness to the drinker. Antabuse reacts to the alcohol creating a strong nausea in the drinker. Basically, one is given all the lovely side effects of overdrinking without the poisoning and hangover.
In a time where alcohol related vehicular homicides were so prevalent, political action groups were actually founded to combat it. Groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving became very loud and effective voices with regards to alcohol abuse. Due in large part to their advocacy, ways to combat impaired driving were implemented nationally. Operating a motor vehicle while impaired, a crime only treated seriously in the past thirty years or so, was helped by technology known as the breathalyzer.
A breathalyzer is attached to the vehicle requiring the operator to blow into a tube. The breath is analyzed to detect alcohol (hence the term breathalyzer.) This system is far from perfect, of course, as the offender can simply have another person breathe into the tube, but it is at least an attempt. This method does demonstrate, however, that courts and law enforcement are taking the problem more seriously than before, so there is reason to be hopeful.
While chemicals, gadgets, religion, and society may indeed fight against “The Demon Rum” it will be an uphill battle. As seen, humanity has evolved hand in hand with alcohol, striding a wobbly path together since the dawn of time. For as we became aware of the world around us, we apparently instantly desired a way to dull that awareness. For as long as a person can put some yeast on some fruit in a bag, alcohol, albeit rather disgusting if made that way, is only a few weeks away.
