Whats the deal with absynthe

[Bolloxoid]

Wormwood, in quantities present in absinthe, is not toxic. The purported toxicity of absinthe during the times in which it achieved its notoriety was mostly due to high concentrations of copper and other impurities. Other negative effects of the use of absinthe (so called absinthism) were mainly caused by the fact that the abusers of absinthe were simply opium addicts, decadent idlers and alcoholics anyway, not because of any special quality of absinthe (excluding its very high alcohol content).

Personally I do like the taste of absinthe, even though I don't particularly like other similar drinks (pastis or ouzo). I don't see any point in torturing oneself by drinking it raw, but simply mixed with water it is good.

 

[DemoCoder]

No, it is the alpha thujone that is toxic, toxicology studies have proven it. In modern day absinthe drinks, there is 1/25th the amount of alpha thujone than 19th century versions.

Still, if you drink too much of it, it is possible to get poisoned, just like you can get alcohol poisoning. The only difference is, your liver can expel alcohol faster than thujone.

Seems like a ridiculous risk to take. Alcohol is bad enough, but I'll never understand why people feel the need to experiment on their neurons with random herbs or chemicals. Getting "smashed" alot from alcohol takes a toll, as I saw in my dad and uncle. They became forgetful and Alzheimer's-like in their 50s, not to mention the liver problems.

My father died a lifelong alcoholic, and my sister is on a hospice dying from an AIDs from lifelong heroin addiction (from age 16 to 38). All for some feel good high.

 

[Bolloxoid]

http://europa.eu.int/comm/food/fs/sc/scf/out162_en.pdf
http://www.absinthebuyersguide.com/Articles/absinthe_hutton.pdf

Calling buying a bottle of absinthe a "ridiculous risk" or claiming that it rots your brain like turpentine is hysterical. And regarding experimenting with "random herbs", any food spiced with common sage can easily contain much more thujone than absinthe does.

 

[DemoCoder]

Oh really? Then how come I don't have hallucinations from eating food spiced with Sage, even when consuming lots of alcohol?

The ridiculous risk is getting smashed over your lifetime. One bottle isn't gonna hurt you, but take enough to have hallucinations everyday of your life and let's examine your brain cells 20 years from now. We're not talking about Thujone for flavoring, we're talking about taking enough of it to have a "fucks you up" (e.g. hallucinate, etc) effect, which is what the original poster seemed curious about, NOT THE TASTE.


Of course, the type of people who go to environmental protests and worry about long term 30-year exposures to magnetic fields or pesticides, don't seem to give a damn about what drugs do to the brain over the long term, despite the preponderce of burnt out dumbasses in their 50s with liver disease and memory problems. I'm not in favor of the ban. If people die or incapacitate themselves, it's evolution in action. The US just banned Ephedra because a large number of people died taking it. I say, let evolution continue unabated.

 

[jvd]

Of course, the type of people who go to environmental protests and worry about long term 30-year exposures to magnetic fields or pesticides, don't seem to give a damn about what drugs do to the brain over the long term, despite the preponderce of burnt out dumbasses in their 50s with liver disease and memory problems. I'm not in favor of the ban. If people die or incapacitate themselves, it's evolution in action. The US just banned Ephedra because a large number of people died taking it. I say, let evolution continue unabated.

at some point my body will fail. If anything from my being over weight (i have tried many many times to loose weight and keep it off) before my drinking kills me . Considering I get totally smashed mabye once a month and other than that i have a six pack of beer a week I think i will be fine. THe bottle i ordered will most likely last a few years even with my friends and I drinking it.

There should not be any problems if your responsible with what you do. As for your concern with using it everyday well almost everything will mess you up if you use it every day.

 

[DemoCoder]

Yeah, I heard the same arguments from my uncle, my grandfather, and mother, trying to justify their smoking habit. "I'm gonna die anyway, may as well enjoy life while I have it" (as if smoking is the only way to enjoy life) Easy to talk about when you're young, but wait until you're fifty and you need a oxygen machine and can't climb a flight of stairs. Ditto goes for eating. Yeah, you're gonna die anyway right? Why not bulk up to 300lbs, yea-haw.


The problem many fail to realize is, you won't be killed immediately by heart disease, cancer, liver disease, or alzheimers. You will in fact, LIVE with these conditions for years if not decades before they kill you.
Heart disease might get you by the time you're 60-70ish, but guess what, you might be living with lots of aches, pains, and other problems from 50ish onwards because of unhealthy livestyle. My mother has a heart attack in '94, and has been living 10 years with angina. It's not fun. Ever known someone who had to go thru chemotherapy?

I have seen first hand what prolonged exposure to alcohol does to people. Not social drinking (e.g. glass of wine, one or two drinks at dinner, etc), but frequent drunkenness. I might eventually die of heart disease, but you know what? Those last 10 years, I want my full mental capacity and would rather not be a burnt out idiot those last years.

It's not a question of just living longer, it's a question of living healthier in your golden years, and things you do now will be paid back to you in 20-30 years. This is not a screed against recreational drug use. It's a screed against abuse. I think if you need to get high every day, or even half the days of the week, it's a sign of something else wrong with your life.

There are lots of other things that generate relaxation, euphoria, clarity of thought, "highs" in life, besides medicating yourself into those states.

 

[jvd]

Yeah, I heard the same arguments from my uncle, my grandfather, and mother, trying to justify their smoking habit. "I'm gonna die anyway, may as well enjoy life while I have it" (as if smoking is the only way to enjoy life) Easy to talk about when you're young, but wait until you're fifty and you need a oxygen machine and can't climb a flight of stairs. Ditto goes for eating. Yeah, you're gonna die anyway right? Why not bulk up to 300lbs, yea-haw.

First I don't drink everyday like they smoke. I also don't drink a 20 or so drinks compared to what the 20 cigerretes that come in a pack. Idrink a 6 pack a week. Mabye once a month in one night i do 20 shots or so. But besides new years i haven't gotten that messed up since my birthday.

Oh and as for weight i'm about 300 pounds right now. I should weight about 230 according to my doctor. I never expcet to be 230 but if i'm 240 while its not what it should be isn't as bad as what it is now .

Just like drinking the amount i do right now is not as bad as you make it out to sound.

The problem many fail to realize is, you won't be killed immediately by heart disease, cancer, liver disease, or alzheimers. You will in fact, LIVE with these conditions for years if not decades before they kill you.
Heart disease might get you by the time you're 60-70ish, but guess what, you might be living with lots of aches, pains, and other problems from 50ish onwards because of unhealthy livestyle. My mother has a heart attack in '94, and has been living 10 years with angina. It's not fun. Ever known someone who had to go thru chemotherapy?

yes my ex finacee died from lung cancer when she was 21 (i was 18 at the time) I watched her slowly get worse and worse as the chemo was being done. I know what happens. But you know what she never drank , she never smoked , she worked out all the time and was in great shape. SHe is still dead. So whats the point ?

It's not a question of just living longer, it's a question of living healthier in your golden years, and things you do now will be paid back to you in 20-30 years. This is not a screed against recreational drug use. It's a screed against abuse. I think if you need to get high every day, or even half the days of the week, it's a sign of something else wrong with your life.

when has anyone said in this thread that we get messed up every day.

There are lots of other things that generate relaxation, euphoria, clarity of thought, "highs" in life, besides medicating yourself into those states.

yet once in awhile its still fun to go out and drink .

 

[Heathen]

Seems like a ridiculous risk to take

Quite possibly, but at the end of the day it comes down to choice. I choose to drink, I choose to smoke. I know what the risks are, for me it's part of being alive. I know what's likely to happen to me it tweny or thirty years or so, I see it every week when I go and see my dad in hospital, does it stop me though? No.

 

[horvendile]

Considering I get totally smashed mabye once a month and other than that i have a six pack of beer a week I think i will be fine.

Just out of curiosity:
I'm not familiar with American beer standards. What does a six-pack amount to? Is it half a litre per can, or what? And what is the alcohol content of a can?

When you do get smashed, how much do you drink then, ballpark-wise?
If you consider that to be private information, feel free to ignore the question.[/list]

 

[DemoCoder]

Seems like a ridiculous risk to take

Quite possibly, but at the end of the day it comes down to choice. I choose to drink, I choose to smoke. I know what the risks are, for me it's part of being alive. I know what's likely to happen to me it tweny or thirty years or so, I see it every week when I go and see my dad in hospital, does it stop me though? No.

Well, I hope you won't mind when I ask you to pay higher health care premiums than those who do not treat their bodies like garbage cans.

Your bad smoking habits are not just hurting you, they are hurting everyone, because we are forced to pay for your lifestyle when you get sick.

 

[Heathen]

Health Care Premiums? What are they?

We have the NHS over here in old Blightey and as I already pay £4.50 (~$7) for a pack of twenty cigarettes I figure I more than pay my way.

Looking at it from my own perspective the last time I went to the doctors was five months ago for a blocked ear, the time before was for a non-health related op (no more weebairns for me, yippee) about two years ago. So I figure I'm actually way ahead on the credits.

 

[jvd]

Considering I get totally smashed mabye once a month and other than that i have a six pack of beer a week I think i will be fine.

Just out of curiosity:
I'm not familiar with American beer standards. What does a six-pack amount to? Is it half a litre per can, or what? And what is the alcohol content of a can?

When you do get smashed, how much do you drink then, ballpark-wise?
If you consider that to be private information, feel free to ignore the question.[/list]

I drink coors light. I believe its 5% alchool per volume i believe. Never really looked. Its a long neck bottle . I guess it about 12 oz a bottle .

As for getting messed up. The most i ever drank was my 21st birthday and from 12am to 4am i did 25 shots . Right now when i do get messed up i'm at 18-20 shots depending on what it is .

 

[horvendile]

Right now when i do get messed up i'm at 18-20 shots depending on what it is .

Pardon my ignorance, but how much is a shot, and what does it consist of? Would a shot be anything like a couple of centilitres (e.g. an oz if I'm converting correctly) of 40% liquor?

 

[jvd]

Right now when i do get messed up i'm at 18-20 shots depending on what it is .

Pardon my ignorance, but how much is a shot, and what does it consist of? Would a shot be anything like a couple of centilitres (e.g. an oz if I'm converting correctly) of 40% liquor?

I'm not sure how big a shot is . But i normaly drink 80 proof drinks . once in a blue moon i drink everclear (190 proof ) or 151 which is 151 proof haha .

 

[horvendile]

I'm not sure how big a shot is . But i normaly drink 80 proof drinks . once in a blue moon i drink everclear (190 proof ) or 151 which is 151 proof haha .

Awww, why can't you get around to start using SI units?
I have no idea what the proof system says! It wasn't my aim to make this a long interrogation, but: Any chance you could relate that to alcohol content and volume?

 

[StefanS]

Jvd, for a detailled visual description on hot to drink it just watch Johnny Depp in "From Hell", but don't forget to leave the laudanum out

Little sidenote:
Make sure you're in a good mood when drinking absynthe since it destroys your inhibitions and your self-control.

 

[rashly]

2 proof = 1% alcohol by volume.

 

[KBeee]

I'm not sure how big a shot is . But i normaly drink 80 proof drinks . once in a blue moon i drink everclear (190 proof ) or 151 which is 151 proof haha .

Awww, why can't you get around to start using SI units?
I have no idea what the proof system says! It wasn't my aim to make this a long interrogation, but: Any chance you could relate that to alcohol content and volume?

As a side note, "proof" of alcohol was measured by pouring it over gunpowder, and seeing if it ignited - if it lit, it was 100 proof - which worked out about 50% alcohol by volume...
Now an alcohol + black powder cocktail.....

 

[horvendile]

Some stuff about drinking habits

(To be on the safe side: No, of course that's not an actual quote.)

Okay, now that I got the proof system sorted out I've done an estimate of yearly alcohol consumption. I'm no expert by any means, but I do have a general knowledge about when intakes become dangerous. Your consumption is approaching hazardous levels. "Approaching" as in "probably not quite, but verging on" and "hazardous" as in "long term damage", not "immediate death".
I don't primarily say that as a moral judgement; it more belongs to the "amazing facts" department.