Absinthe: Story behind its ban and problems you might still face in getting it
Absinthe was supposedly tested before it was banned. Absinthe was declared to contain too much thujone than could be consumed. Hence, absinthe was branded as unsafe for public consumption. But it has to be said that testing standards were not that good during those times. Testing was practiced at a primitive stage as compared to modern standards. Modern testing has proved otherwise and thus the ban on absinthe was lifted in many places in the world recently. But, before it was banned, absinthe had a rough time altogether.
The story behind Absinthe ban
Many famous personalities who drank it avidly have suffered later on due to problems caused by addiction to the drink. The famous painter, Van Gogh, has been said to cut one of his ears away allegedly under the influence of the drink. This was typical of the image perpetuated by the drink. Subsequently, it was this notoriety that became the reason for the drink to be banned.
Association with artists and intellectuals gave the drink a bohemian aura and this attracted more people towards taking up the drink. The rise in popularity of the drink also caused some people to cash in on the surge in its popularity. They began making the drink using a cheaper but more dangerous recipe.
It was such spurious absinthe that soiled the reputation of the drink. In fact, tests done today on samples of 19th century absinthe have cleared the drink of any toxicity. These tests confirm that thujone levels were well within the limits inside absinthe prepared using the original recipe. Thujone is believed to be the main ingredient which gives rise to unsavory side effects on the body. Too much of thujone can be fatal if ingested into the body.
Problems you might still face in importing absinthe
The roots of absinthe are in France and Switzerland. It is here that you can still get the original drink. People trying to get the drink from these places though may face problems with their local customs. The ban has been lifted fairly recently and strictures allowing its import may not have percolated down to most government departments. Officials might therefore appear to be slightly apprehensive about the legalities of its import and eye its shipment quite suspiciously.
But you can do some homework in advance and ascertain whether absinthe you are planning to purchase is within the local legal framework. Most officials one encounters are unaware of laws passed in fields other than their own. This is a common trend that you can see everywhere in the world.
Sometimes they expect that the onus lies with the importer to prove that bringing the drink is within the laws in force. Usually when shown the legality of the goods, they relent and allow it to pass through.