Moderate drinking can also relax inhibitions in a way that seems to let the mind range across a wider set of possible connections.

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For a start, the paper ends up portraying alcohol as much more harmful than tobacco when there are health benefits to moderate drinking but none for moderate smoking.

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"Once she fell off the wagon, she couldn't stop, or even moderate, her drinking, " he writes.

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Moderate or mild drinking the night before working might have a lesser -- or no -- effect.

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Rates of smoking are relatively low, mid-day naps are the norm, the pace of life is slow and people socialise frequently with friends and family, drinking moderate amounts of wine.

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