Party News: Switzerland t lift ban on ABSINTHE !!

[Proteus_MST]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara


But the amount of thujone wouldn't increase, which is supposedly the psychoactive ingrediant.

Correct, the amount wouldn´t change, just the proportion between Thujon and Alcohol.
As I´ve already admitted, the total amount of Thujon in the modern Absinthe is much lower than it was 100 years ago.

Using the old Techniques of drinking Absinthe you can drink larger amounts of Absinthe (and it tastes better ) without geting drunk or even suffering from Alcohol Poisoning, but it is still difficult to get a High from the Thujone alone.
I´ve bought a bottle of Thujon some time ago and tried it, using the old Techniques, but I don´t think there was any Effect from the Thujone. I didn´t feel any different.

[Zylka]

35mg/kg isn't all that bad a level. Highest it usually reaches in the most countries is around 10mg/kg (I've seen TWOmg per in Canada), but you can order some nice stuff from Spain, Portugal etc. 70mg per is floating around on the net, which will make for a small stoning!

Hmmm, and I *believe* thujone stays behind after evaporation. Alcohol, begone!

[Dr Strangelove]

Originally posted by Proteus_MST


It was, because many of the Distillers used Industry Alcohol to get larger Profit out of the Absinthe.
It was much cheaper than the Alcohol used normally for these Drinks, but it also had its hazardous Sideeffects, like Dementia, becoming blind and the like.
If you were too poor to afford High Quality Absinthe (without Industry Alcohol), you were screwed if you drank too much of it.

Industrial alcohol is methanol, which makes you blind. That's not what happened to absinthe drinkers, they developed an early dementia generally accompamied by hallucinations and delusions. Also I doubt that at that time methanol was cheaper than ethanol.

[Dr Strangelove]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara


They were drinking huge quantities of alcohol. By 35 you been drinking it for what, 20 years? After 20 years of hard core alcoholism, I'd be surprised if there weren't instances of dementia.

Absinthe was generally served with wine though. Even alcoholics drinking impressive quantities of hard liquor usually don't develop dementia before age 50.

I think it has been so long since real absinthe was on the market that we have forgotten how damaging it really is. Is it truly necessary for humanity to repeat all of its mistakes every 2 or 3 generations?

[GePap]

Yes, preferably sooner.

[chequita guevara]

Originally posted by Dr Strangelove
Absinthe was generally served with wine though. Even alcoholics drinking impressive quantities of hard liquor usually don't develop dementia before age 50.

A few things to consider. After the 1850s, absinthe was made with grain alcohol, not wine.

Absinthe has been legal in Spain, Portugal, and Andorra the whole time. They haven't had any problems with it. It is legal in the Czech Republic, and I haven't heard any reports of brain damage being associated with its use.

A lot of the reported dementia was with people who were already mentally unstable (Van Goegh). Around the world there was a temperance movement which made the most of any bad acts attributed to alcohol.

Also, science and doctoring weren't terribly good back then. The first major study of absinthe's supposed toxicity had a scientist putting the stuff directly on a cat's brain, not simply the thujone, but the whole drink.

Absinthe was outlawed in Switzerland after a farmer killed his family, but he only had one or two glasses of absinthe that day. He had, however, drunk a whole jug of wine. It was outlawed in France because of WWI, and the government didn't want their soldiers getting plowed while off duty. Also, the wine industry was strongly pushing for it's banning, because it was cutting into wine sales.

Finally, there really hasn't been a lot of study on the effects of thujone on humans.

[Proteus_MST]

Originally posted by chegitz guevara


A few things to consider. After the 1850s, absinthe was made with grain alcohol, not wine.

Absinthe has been legal in Spain, Portugal, and Andorra the whole time. They haven't had any problems with it. It is legal in the Czech Republic, and I haven't heard any reports of brain damage being associated with its use.

A lot of the reported dementia was with people who were already mentally unstable (Van Goegh). Around the world there was a temperance movement which made the most of any bad acts attributed to alcohol.

Also, science and doctoring weren't terribly good back then. The first major study of absinthe's supposed toxicity had a scientist putting the stuff directly on a cat's brain, not simply the thujone, but the whole drink.

Absinthe was outlawed in Switzerland after a farmer killed his family, but he only had one or two glasses of absinthe that day. He had, however, drunk a whole jug of wine. It was outlawed in France because of WWI, and the government didn't want their soldiers getting plowed while off duty. Also, the wine industry was strongly pushing for it's banning, because it was cutting into wine sales.

Finally, there really hasn't been a lot of study on the effects of thujone on humans.

Yup, I´ve found a good Link covering the Prohibition of Absinthe especially in France (also covering the afore mentioned Industry Alcohol [I did know it from another Article in a Magazine printed on real Paper, though ] )

http://www.sepulchritude.com/chapelperilous/absinthe/absinthe-history2.html

*Edit Added a second and third Link*
Here a second Link, which could possibly be a litle bit biased (s the Author, a Chemist, is Manager in a Liquor Company) but it also involves interesting Informations, for example the Molecule Structure of Thujone

http://www.chem.ox.ac.uk/mom/absinthe/absinthe.html

Third Link, specially referring to the particular Ingredients of Absinthe and their Effects 100 years ago and of modern Products, containing Absinthe:

http://www.a1b2c3.com/drugs/abs02b.htm

[Whaleboy]

Ladies and Gentlemen: I do believe we need to arrange a Swiss meet!

Can't beat Prague though

[PLATO]

Thujone is a natural chemical compound found in many different plants and flowers. It is especially known in many spices, herbs and essential oils.

Thujone has a similar chemical structure to Tetrahydrocannibinol (active ingredient found in marijuana or THC) and Menthol (peppermint odor found in many over-the-counter medicated creams).

Can be found in 24 direct food additives according to the FDA's PAFA database.

Dalmation sage oil and cedar leaf oil are stated as containing the highest concentration of thujone.

http://www.wormwood-absente.com/thujone.htm#Introduction1

Already in 24 food additives...Hmmm

[molly bloom]

Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder...

http://www.laboheme.uk.com/wines.htm

http://absinthe.msjekyll.com/

http://www.greenfairy.com.au/