The Economist has published a map showing alcohol consumption around the world. It's based on a report from the World Health Organization. Some of the facts and figures are quite startling. For example:
Over 10 litres of a Moldovan's annual intake is reckoned to be 'unrecorded' home-brewed liquor, making it particularly harmful to health. Such moonshine accounts for almost 30% of the world's drinking.
. . .
In Russia and its former satellite states one in five male deaths is caused by drink.
There's more at the link, and in the WHO report. Both make interesting and thought-provoking reading.
Peter
4 comments:
why is "home brewed" liquor supposed to be any less safe? Done right (and most folks do do it right, or they don't sell much) it is as safe as any state approved tonsil polish.
Alternatively, the map clearly shows which countries should be drinking more. :)
Home-distilled spirits *might* be less safe, if the still is constructed with re-purposed parts. For instance, an old radiator might be used as the condenser, and these can contain residues of antifreeze, or might be made with toxic metals that can leach into the final product.
Purchasing home-distilled spirits might also be less safe, because unscrupulous moonshiners might "cut" their product with cheaply-purchased methanol, which is toxic, to increase their profits.
Now, IF IT WERE LEGAL, and you made your own still out of food-safe parts, you could easily and safely distill your own whisky for pennies per pint.
(LOL...Word Verification: mobber).
"Might" and "Could" don't really get it.
You might go nuts and shoot up a shopping mall. You could go nuts and drive your auto into a crowd of people.
Using "might" and "could" makes your argument as valid as the Brady bunch's words.
Show me where people (significant numbers of people) are killed by homemade booze.
Statistically, I would bet that it is no more dangerous than state sponsored/approved hooch
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