Alcohol and Cocaine Damage the Brain. Toronto Mayor At Risk
By Paddy Kamen, Publisher, BetterBrainBetterLife.com
The miracle that is Rob Ford’s brain has been fascinating to watch during the past year. Seldom do we witness such a public and ongoing array of rude and risky behavior from an elected official.
Why do I call Ford’s brain a miracle? Based on scientific research into the effects of alcohol and cocaine on the brain, it seems miraculous that Ford’s brain can function at all, for chronic misuse of alcohol and cocaine is proven to cause widespread brain damage. The frontal lobes (or prefrontal cortex), the cerebral cortex, and the amygdala are all impaired by over-consumption of alcohol.
Is Ford an addict? He declares not, and I’m in no position to know. He does admit to frequent drunken stupors and has been videotaped staggering around as if under the effects. But really, the proof of the pudding is in the tasting: while we can’t see the activity within Rob Ford’s brain, we can witness his behaviors and judge from them whether or not a problem might exist. I contend that voters should be concerned about Ford holding such a prominent position, for science shows us that higher-level thinking is seriously, and to some degree permanently, impaired by over-consumption of alcohol.
By Paddy Kamen, Publisher, BetterBrainBetterLife.com
The miracle that is Rob Ford’s brain has been fascinating to watch during the past year. Seldom do we witness such a public and ongoing array of rude and risky behavior from an elected official.
Why do I call Ford’s brain a miracle? Based on scientific research into the effects of alcohol and cocaine on the brain, it seems miraculous that Ford’s brain can function at all, for chronic misuse of alcohol and cocaine is proven to cause widespread brain damage. The frontal lobes (or prefrontal cortex), the cerebral cortex, and the amygdala are all impaired by over-consumption of alcohol.
Is Ford an addict? He declares not, and I’m in no position to know. He does admit to frequent drunken stupors and has been videotaped staggering around as if under the effects. But really, the proof of the pudding is in the tasting: while we can’t see the activity within Rob Ford’s brain, we can witness his behaviors and judge from them whether or not a problem might exist. I contend that voters should be concerned about Ford holding such a prominent position, for science shows us that higher-level thinking is seriously, and to some degree permanently, impaired by over-consumption of alcohol.