Drug History Canada

A few weeks ago I posted a link to the International Scientific Forum on Alcohol Research's critique of the CCSA report. It's quite the read. I also tweeted it out and immediately got a response from a follower pointing out what seemed to be conflict of interest as detailed in a slide deck from Dr.… Continue reading Distortions: Unbalanced assessment of conflict of interest →

In waging a campaign against a legal industry, it is good to paint them as evil. We saw this with the temperance movement in the 19th and early 20th centuries, and again with Big Tobacco in the mid to late 20th. I was at an academic conference once where a scholar introduced an anti-alcohol campaigner… Continue reading Distortions: The false dichotomy strategy of the public health industrial complex →

I have been rattling on about the CCSA report for a few weeks, and I stand by my critiques. But I admit I don't have the depth of knowledge and technical expertise in some areas covered by the CCSA. so today I was sent a link to a detailed and scathing critique by people who… Continue reading Distortions: Finally a voice of reason, and detail →

In this business, the research business, there is a general understanding that money can affect bias. Most responsible scientific publications these days require researchers to declare conflicts of interest. This is important so readers can place the research they are reading into some kind of context, and identify if a bias might exist. So for… Continue reading Distortions: Bias and perspective. Aka: follow the money →

In the ongoing discussion of links between alcohol consumption and cancer, we hear this statement: Alcohol is a known class one carcinogen. That sounds pretty scary. I'm not about to dismiss the seriousness of cancer (although as Susan Sontag did, I am concerned about how it is framed). What I do want to discuss today… Continue reading Distortions: The broad category of “Class 1 Carcinogen” →

One of the challenges facing the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction relating to its Low Risk Drinking Guidelines is its hope to provide clear information to the general public. In an article in the Toronto Star on 29 January (behind a pay wall, sorry), the co-chair of the project to develop the guidelines,… Continue reading Distortions: What is a rational actor to do? →

The release of the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction's low risk alcohol guidelines happen to correspond with the second reading of Senator Patrick Brazeau's Bill S-254 "An Act to amend the Food and Drugs Act (warning label on alcoholic beverages)." Well "happen" makes it sound like a coincidence, but it seems like this… Continue reading Distortions: A moderate perspective on an immoderate proposal →

[Note: in an earlier version of this post I scrutinized the term "significant estimates" at the bottom of the risk tables in the original report for public consultation. The reference to "significant" estimates" was missing in the final report and I thought this was odd. However, I have learned that the term "significant estimate" means… Continue reading Distortions: Always check the fine print →

This has been a busy week on the booze limits front. I have been doing a lot of media, responding to a lot of email, (writing a lot of blog posts) and fielding a lot of requests for meetings. I also have a day job teaching students and doing research that isn't about drinking limits.… Continue reading Distortions: An infographic to sow skepticism →

When the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) released its so called Low-Risk Alcohol Drinking Guidance for public consultation in August, I was irritated. I had seen this sort of temperance rhetoric before and to no good end, despite the good intentions of the advocates. I wrote about this a few days back.… Continue reading Distortions: Social connection and health →