Addicted to Pleasure

Actor Brian Cox reveals the rich and controversial past of sugar, alcohol, tobacco and opium to uncover how the commercial exploitation of these products hooked the world

Overview Seasons Similar

Created By
Status	Returning Series
Original Name	Addicted to Pleasure
First Air Date	November 25, 2012
Last Air Date	December 17, 2012
Seasons	1
Episodes	4
Episode Runtime	0min
Language	—
Original Language	English
Production Countries	—
Production Companies
Networks	BBC One

S01E04

Whisky

Today, whisky is a source of Scottish pride; it's one of the UK's few growth industries. In this last episode, actor Brian Cox reveals how whisky was born and shaped in opposition to the British tax system, and how that history forged the character of Scotland's national drink. But as he discovers, during the 19th century, addiction became a huge social problem with Scots drinking around six million gallons every year to escape the often unbearable conditions of their urban lives. The Scots reputation for hard drinking was born, an image Scotland struggles with to this day.

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