Reasonable Risk: Alcohol in Perspective (Series on Alcohol in Society.)

198 Pages·2004·1.23 MB·English

by  Martinic

REASONABLE RISK
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International CenterforAlcohol Policies
Series on Alcohol in Society
Grant and Litvak—Drinking Patterns and Their Consequences
Grant—Alcohol and Emerging Markets: Patterns, Problems, and Responses
Peele and Grant—Alcohol and Pleasure: AHealth Perspective
Heath—Drinking Occasions: Comparative Perspectives on Alcohol and
Culture
Houghton and Roche—Learning About Drinking
Haworth and Simpson—Moonshine Markets: Issues in Unrecorded Alcohol
Beverage Production and Consumption
Martinic and Leigh—Reasonable Risk: Alcohol in Perspective
REASONABLE RISK
Alcohol in Perspective
Marjana Martinic and Barbara Leigh
BRUNNER-ROUTLEDGE
NEW YORK AND HOVE
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Published in 2004 by
Brunner-Routledge
29 West 35th Street
New York, NY10001
www.brunner-routledge.com
Published in Great Britain by
Brunner-Routledge
27 Church Road
Hove, East Sussex
BN3 2FA
www.brunner-routledge.co.uk
Copyright ©2004 by Taylor and Francis Books, Inc.
Brunner-Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group.
Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by
any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopy-
ing and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing
from the publishers.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Martinic, Marjana.
Reasonable risk : alcohol in perspective / by Marjana Martinic and Barbara Leigh.
p. cm. — (International Center for Alcohol Policies series on alcohol in society)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 0-415-94636-0
1. Alcoholism—Social aspects. 2. Alcoholism—Risk factors. 3. Risk perception. 4. Risk
assessment. 5. Risk management. I. Leigh, Barbara (Barbara C.) II. Title. III. Series on
alcohol in society.
HV5035.M374 2004
362.292—dc22
2004043575
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Contents
Acknowledgments vii
Introduction Setting the Stage ix
CHAPTER 1 Keeping an Eye Out: Our Perceptions of Risk 1
CHAPTER 2 To Each His Own: Culture, Risk, and the Transgression 23
of Boundaries
CHAPTER 3 It’s Not Only the Numbers That Count: 53
Assessing Risk and Benefit
CHAPTER 4 Well-Chosen Words:Telling the Story of Risk 83
CHAPTER 5 To Do or Not to Do: Risk Decisions 115
CHAPTER 6 Toeing the Line: Risk and Alcohol Policy 143
Index 177
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Acknowledgments
The authors would like to acknowledge the following individuals, without
whom this book would not have been possible: Joanne Freeman, Tony Pyle,
and Daniya Tamendarova for their tireless and meticulous editorial work;
Dwight Heath for generously sharing his experience and wisdom; Wilson
Acuda, Nick Alexander, Jan Buckingham, Troy Duster, Sietze Montijn, Ron
Simpson, and Paul Slovic for their guidance in shaping the book; George
Zimmar for his support and flexible definition of deadlines; and especially
Marcus Grant for his vision and difficult questions that guided the writing of
this book.
STATEMENTOF SUPPORT
Reasonable Risk was produced with the support of the International Center
for Alcohol Policies (ICAP). ICAP is a not-for-profit organization whose
mission is to promote understanding of the role of alcohol in society and to
help reduce the abuse of alcohol worldwide, and to encourage dialogue and
pursue partnerships with the beverage alcohol industry, the public health
community and others interested in alcohol policy. ICAP is supported by
major international producers of beverage alcohol. The views expressed in
this book do not necessarily represent those of ICAP or of its sponsoring
companies.
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Introduction
Setting the Stage
“Without numbers, there are no odds and probabilities; without odds and
probabilities, the only way to deal with risk is to appeal to the gods and the
fates. Without numbers, risk is wholly a matter of gut.”
Bernstein, Against the Gods, 1996, p. 23
We cannot escape the hazards that surround us. Great or small, they are ubiq-
uitous. An element of danger is present in virtually every human activity,
whether it is driving to work in morning rush hour traffic, stepping off a curb
to cross the street, or living in regions where infectious diseases abound.
Hazards are inherent in our environment (e.g., acid rain and pollution, a thin-
ning ozone layer, and industrial waste) and in our lifestyles (e.g., sexual
behavior, smoking, extreme sports, diet, and exercise). We face all these
hazards, voluntarily or involuntarily, as we are exposed to the world around
us. Even the most mundane everyday activities may be fraught with danger
(Figure 1).
The predictability of these hazards (e.g., the potential dangers that may
affect us directly) lies at the heart of what we know as risk. As a concept, risk
helps us to justify misfortune and frightening events and to explain devia-
tions from what we consider the norm. It enables us to cope more effectively
with uncertainty and with the things we fear, do not understand, or cannot
control. The concept of risk is arguably one of the strategies developed by
societies to deal with danger, with threats to human life, and with the un-
known. Without these coping strategies, we would be forced to relinquish all
sense of control and put ourselves at the mercy of fate; with them, we have a
fighting chance of maintaining our equilibrium.
It is curious to note that although we willingly embrace some risks, we
immediately reject others. Some risks are considered “good,” and others are
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