Comité de Salut Public drinks bill...?

[victoriavandal.livejournal.com]

I heard a reference to the Committee of Public Safety's drinks bill on a radio programme a couple of years ago, but I've never come across a written reference to it. Does such a thing exist, or was it a post-Thermidor 'hey, don't blame us, we were drunk all the time' excuse? I've also heard similar about the Tribunal, but again haven't found a reliable, non-anecdotal, non-hostile source.
I'm also aware that the average alcohol intake was universally far higher from the dawn of time until the 19thc - it was safer than water!
On a related issue, does anyone know if the opiate laudanum was used/abused in France as much as it was in Britain at the time? I don't know how greatly the trade links would have made a difference here. I can't remember ever having come across a reference in anything on the Revolution - the Romantic poets in Britain in the 1790's were living on the stuff - but I did wonder if that, rather than the usually assumed bisexuality, may have been Camille Desmoulins' 'vice'?

Comments

[victoriavandal.livejournal.com]

My mother's generation had amphetamine as 'diet pills' and cocaine at the dentist! They still use opium medically a lot - a friend of mine is prescribed opium tablets after operations.
In Britain the drink-driving limits are now very strict - much more strict than in France - and I think that has changed habits so that people now 'binge drink' on a friday or saturday night and pack a week's drinking into a few hours! Then they get a taxi home and spend sunday being sick.

[hanriotfran.livejournal.com]

Of course, if you get sick after a drinking time, you didn't know how to drink and you are near of being an alcoholist. If you have been drinking and caught a headache, it's better that you stop it.

Yes; I remember the "amphetamine" and diet pills. My aunt wanted to follow a diet and her doctor gave her some pills...She bordered suicide and was so crazy that anyone could speak to her without her becoming extremely angry.

HanriotFran (Vanesa)