re:Absinthe

Absinthe originated in Val-de-Travers, Switzerland as an elixir/tincture. However, it is better known for its popularity in late 19th and early 20th century France, particularly among Parisian artists and writers whose romantic associations with the drink still linger in popular culture. At the end of the 19th century over 2 million litres[2] of absinthe were consumed annually in France alone, and 36 million by 1910.[3] Further, absinthe was portrayed as a dangerously addictive, psychoactive drug; the chemical thujone was blamed for most of its deleterious effects. The Lanfray murders of 1906 caused a petition to the Swiss government leading to its prohibition in Switzerland, and subsequently other countries. By 1915, it was prohibited in a number of European countries and the United States.
Though it was vilified, no evidence shows it to be any more dangerous or psychoactive than ordinary alcohol.[4] A modern absinthe revival began in the 1990s, as countries in the European Union began to reauthorize its manufacture and sale. As of August 2007 over 100 brands in a dozen countries are produced



I'm sure the fact that this is no more dangerous than ordinary alcohol will help everyone relax, because we all know how beneficial alcohol has been to our world. In fact, you can ask the surviving family members of the group killed yesterday in Toledo OH by a drunk driver on the wrong side of the freeway.
Absinthe is in fact made from a Wormwood plant, listed in all herbal books as highly TOXIC and typically taken to expel intestinal parasites that would make the chest burster from ALIEN look tame by comparison.