Drinking while driving is a huge cause of death. In the US we have a .08% limit, which is actually not even that safe. Many countries in Europe have .05%, and many in Scandinavia have .02% (basically sober). Parts of this was laughable. Long chapters about different ways to talk about alcohol use, just very clumsy kitchen psychology and mundane. This book certainly exceeded my expectations. The overall pedigree and experience of Dr. Nutt put him in an excellent position to author this book, and he did a laudable job balancing it with a sufficiently rigorous scientific/health-related dive, the effects at the personal versus the societal level, economic considerations, as well as the many benefits of alcohol that people tend to overlook. The author also concludes with a seemingly sensible plan for those who take the facts seriously, both personally and at the institutional/policy level. The book is not a meant to scare people into worry about their habits, but rather provide a sober (hah) analysis of the risks at hand. Professor Nutt does a much better job of citing some psychological aspects of why people drink, i.e., the self-help portion of the book. [Read the section on "Is Your Booze Buzz in Your Head?"] Later on he cites one study that "...showed that people drank lager 60 percent more slowly out of straight glasses than out of outward-curving (pilsner type) ones." Now that's interesting, don't you think? He also does a better job in this half of the book delineating when he is discussing fact or logic and not just opinion. Many patients with cirrhosis consider themselves social drinkers, though they tend to consume quite a bit.

The reason we tolerate the harm is because alcohol use also has benefits. Professor David Nutt is a leading global authority on alcohol abuse. No prohibitionist, Nutt writes that alcohol is a social drug for a social animal; it "lubricates our interactions with others... is a major part of how we bond...our celebration rituals revolve around alcohol." There is some evidence that drinking can enhance creativity. Present an unvarnished, spin free account of the scientific evidence regarding the health ramifications and social impact of alcohol consumption. Despite this, people who have a drink or two every week aren’t necessarily likely to experience worse health outcomes. A recent meta-analysis that considered results from 107 studies found that, compared with never drinking, low-volume drinking is not associated with an increase in all-cause mortality.Drawing on research conducted over the recent decades, Prof. Nutt is a leading ICL scientist in this area and presents us (in admittedly a dry account) with all the known science of alcohol to date. I believe something like this should be required reading for all who intend to drink alcohol.

Alcohol is a huge dopamine stimulant, which is in part why it feels so good, and why we might crave it when stressed.If alcohol went through food standards testing for toxicity now, you'd only be allowed to have less than a wine glass of alcohol per year." While there is no single commonly accepted cause of hangovers, several bad things tend to happen in combination after a big night out.

A world-renowned authority on the science of alcohol exposes its influence on our health, mood, sleep, emotions, and productivity -- and what we can and should do to moderate our intake. From the mouth and gullet, the liquid moves to your stomach, where about 20% is absorbed through the stomach lining. The rest is absorbed once it reaches the small intestines, all of it ultimately ending up in your bloodstream. Food can act like a sponge and slow the alcohol’s absorption: if you are drinking on an empty stomach, the alcohol takes effect much faster. A few minutes after your first sip, once it gets to your bloodstream and into your brain, it starts to have an effect. I was curious as to what David Nutt had to say, as I had heard of him causing controversy by advocating for other drugs, but not alcohol. Mixing factual and anecdotal evidence, Nutt discusses the UK response to alcohol, and the struggles he faced whilst attempting to advise the government on alcohol policy. From denying its classification as a drug to allowing alcohol companies to make up 50% of alcohol advisory boards, politicians’ response to drinking is surprising, especially given the burdens it places on our national services. Still, a glass of wine a day might help your longevity, right? Well, unfortunately, rumours of booze’s effectiveness in that area may have been exaggerated. “For a long time, I think we’ve told ourselves alcohol is good for us, partly because we enjoy drinking it,” says Dr Sadie Boniface, head of research at the Institute of Alcohol Studies. “But science has debunked some of the ‘health benefits’ of moderate drinking, and one thing I think people generally don’t understand is that the official drinking guidelines are for ‘low-risk’ alcohol consumption, not ‘safe’ consumption. When the drinking guidelines were developed, they did an enormous review of the evidence, and did calculations for the health risks of drinking at different levels.” The cut-off they chose for low-risk, she says, was a little below a 1% lifetime risk of death from alcohol: “I think that’s higher than a lot of people would expect, and much higher than the risk of death that we would probably accept for other exposures, such as air pollution.”

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I've been reading about the dangers of alcohol multiple times, so this didn't really offer anything new. I do take issue with him that society must celebrate all of its important days with alcohol, from birth to death, and also as a way to meet people. He mentions bars a lot as local meeting spots, so he hopes to help people who imbibe to do it responsibly.

Alcohol consumption, even at moderate levels (5-10 drinks a week), is associated with adverse brain outcomes." Overall, very useful and helpful book that made me think harder about my habits around alcohol. My major takeaways that I'm enacting: Finally this book finishes up with a section on how to identify if you or a loved one has a problem with alcohol and what tactics and tools you can use to beat addiction.And it is a very scary book. I thought I knew most facts about the dangers, but Nutt goes into great detail about how alcohol affects every part of the body, what's involved in hangovers, fetal alcohol syndrome, and the types of cancers related to its use. He explains the drugs used for treatment of alcoholics. One of the better known health consequences of long-term alcohol consumption is liver disease, alcohol being the most common cause in the UK. Although cirrhosis can take years to develop, regularly drinking over the recommended limits can damage the liver. Meanwhile, cutting down on drinking has become standard advice in lowering the risk of dementia. While alcohol doesn’t appear to directly kill brain cells, it can disrupt the growth of new ones – and also indirectly cause neurological problems that can lead to dementia.