That legendary man of letters, Samuel Johnson, once opined that “Abstinence is as easy to me as temperance would be difficult”. Over the centuries, many have shared at least part of Johnson’s sentiment as regards the temptations offered by spirits, and just as many have concerned themselves with the cause of cautioning others about alcohol and its potentially pernicious effects. The good people...

It’s not hard to see why our readers loved this thought-provoking expose of America’s long history with mind-altering substances. In fact, the ad for Cocaine Toothache Drops (contemporarily priced at 15 cents) alone is worth a trip to this colorful and well curated site. Lesson plans and online activities help educators illustrate how the United States has handled the thin and shifting line...

Australians have a great passion for their biscuits, and generally the release of a new type of biscuit is quite welcome. There are, of course, exceptions to this general proviso, particularly when the new biscuit contains a trace of alcohol -- albeit a very miniscule trace. The biscuits in question were released this week by a beloved Australian biscuit manufacturer, Arnott's (owned by the...