James Bond: Alcoholic Drinks Led to Poor Health · Guardian Liberty Voice Share on Facebook Follow on Facebook Add to Google+ Connect on Linked in Subscribe by Email Print This Post A recent study shows that the heavy use of alcoholic drinks by fictional character James Bond would have eventually led to poor health. His boss, better known as “M,” would not be pleased at the information that was recently given out in the United Kingdom. Medical experts there say that Bond – also known as Agent 007 – was in very poor health due to his excessive consumption of alcoholic drinks. Using information found in all fourteen of author Ian Fleming’s novels about the fictional spy, British doctors gave the hero a thorough check-up. Their findings were rather grim. Fleming’s novels show that Bond consumed an average of over 90 units of alcoholic drinks a week. This is four times the maximum recommended amount for adult males. In an otherwise distinguished resume working for the British secret service, James Bond had only thirteen days in which he did not partake of alcoholic drinks. With this record, he would have been deemed unsafe to drive. In the novel Casino Royale, Bond had what was equal to 20 glasses of champagne before wrecking a car in a high speed chase.

The doctors who conducted this study did this in their spare time and not while they were on duty. They read all of the James Bond novels and noted every time he had an alcoholic beverage. In the latest British Medical Journal, the doctors concluded that the only one Bond really had a license to kill was himself. His excessive drinking was causing his health to become very poor in a very rapid fashion. But, the doctors did not feel that this was the only habit which caused them to be concerned about the famed spy. The same report shows that the James Bond in Fleming’s novels smoked up to sixty times a day. The ever unflappable Bond smoked handmade Turkish and Balkan cigarettes. In the films. Bond is noted also for his sexual conquests. However, he is more sexually active on film than he is in print. During twenty three films, Bond has had over fifty sexual conquests. One medical specialist said that with Bond’s drinking habit, he would have had short-term problems with memory span and concentration. Long-term issues would have including greater risk of heart attack or stroke, as well as cirrhosis of the liver. The research was compiled with the idea of forcing British citizens to think about their holiday alcohol consumption.

The title of the research was “The Man With the Golden Liver” and it asks if James Bond’s martini was shaken due to tremors brought about by alcohol consumption. One author of the study said that while it takes a lighthearted look at a fictional character, he hopes that the public will also hear the serious messages relating to health. In the United Kingdom, deaths from liver disease in the last twenty years are said to have doubled. The average age of death in England is currently 59. Many medical studies have pointed out that people are known to underestimate their rate of alcohol consumption by as much as 30 percent. Doctors say that the amount of alcohol consumed by Bond is inconsistent with the mental, physical and even sexual activities presented in the novels. In one of Ian Fleming’s novels set in the Caribbean, James Bond is noted for saying that he would rather die of drink than die of thirst. The doctors who conducted this study say that is very probable since Bond’s excessive drinking would have led to a steady decline in his health. By Rick Hope James Bond: Master Spy Or Alcoholic? James Bond: Master Spy Or Alcoholic? A new study claims that James Bond is an alcoholic: (CNN) — Alcohol. Bond’s alcohol.

The British spy James Bond may routinely get himself out of dangerous situations with skill and charm, but his body may be suffering all the while because of his drinking habits. British researchers predict he could die from alcohol-related causes, such as liver damage, by age 56. Scientists wanted to examine just how much alcohol the famous fictional secret agent consumes, and what effect that could have on his health. They published a study , led by Graham Johnson of the emergency department of Royal Derby Hospital, in the British Medical Journal’s Christmas edition, which features a variety of offbeat research papers. Researchers found Bond’s weekly alcohol consumption totaled 92 units a week, which is more than four times what doctors recommend. A real person would not be able to carry out such complicated tasks and function as well as Bond does while maintaining such habits, they conclude. A unit of alcohol is defined as 10 milliliters or 8 grams of pure ethanol in the United Kingdom. For some perspective on that, a bottle of wine is nine units, and a pint of beer is three, according to this study.

The finding of 92 units a week could actually be the low end of the truth, as studies have shown that “people generally underestimate their alcohol consumption by about 30%,” the study said, noting other research has demonstrated that health surveys don’t account for about half of all alcohol sold. In other words, Bond may be drinking much more than the large quantities portrayed in the books. “We advise an immediate referral for further assessment and treatment,” the study authors wrote, as well as “a reduction in alcohol to safe levels.” The Telegraph’s Tim Stanley is having none of it: [T]he writers of this report have missed the entire point of Bond – and of all pulp fiction. Pulp heroes are guys who live as guys would really like to if they could: drinking, smoking and yet still saving the world and getting the girl (and shooting her if she turns out to be a double agent). They’re not supposed to be realistic because if they were then Bond would probably be a boring health freak who spends his life sipping orange juice, decoding messages and never, ever chasing bad asses in a flying car. In short: no one wants to read the Bond that the science drones would have us read. He’s be Thunderbore.

For Your Closed Eyes Only. On Her Majesty’s Sober Service. You get the idea. Stanley is right, of course. Treating an archetypal like James Bond in this manner and judging him as you’d judge a human being who actually exists is like trying to figure out how many Interstellar Venereal Diseases James Kirk may have been exposed to during he course of his career. It kind of misses the point that this is fiction. Relax and enjoy it. On a final note, Jazz Shaw has this to add: If you’re the people spending your time complaining about how much James Bond drank or what a bad role model James Bond is, I’m betting James Bond would kick your *** for you in a New York minute. Then he would order another Martini, shaken not stirred of course, and scan the room for his next, umm, conquest.

James Bond is an 'impotent drunk' - BBC News BBC News James Bond is an 'impotent drunk' By James Gallagher Health and science reporter, BBC News 13 December 2013 Close share panel Image copyright Rex Features Image caption Doctors say James Bond, played here by actor Daniel Craig, has a drink problem Vodka martini, "shaken not stirred" - often said as part of a bad Sean Connery impersonation - is one of the most quotable lines from Bond. Yet Her Majesty's top secret agent's love of the bottle would leave him impotent and at death's door. Doctors analysing the Ian Fleming novels show James Bond polishes off the equivalent of one and a half bottles of wine every day. He's a very glamorous person, he gets all the girls and that's totally incompatible with the lifestyle of an alcoholic. Patrick Davies, paediatric intensive care consultant They say he is not the man to trust to deactivate a nuclear bomb. Doctors in Derby and Nottingham sat down to read the 14 Bond novels in their spare time. With a notebook at hand they charted every day and every drink.

Excluding the 36 days Bond was in prison, hospital or rehab, the spy downed 1,150 units of alcohol in 88 days. It works out at 92 units a week - about five vodka martinis a day and four times the recommended maximum intake for men in the UK. The doctors' report in the festive edition of the British Medical Journal concluded: "Although we appreciate the societal pressures to consume alcohol when working with international terrorists and high stakes gamblers, we would advise Bond to be referred for further assessment of his alcohol intake." Patrick Davies, a consultant in paediatric intensive care at Nottingham University Hospitals, told the BBC: "You wouldn't want this person defusing a nuclear bomb. "He's a very glamorous person, he gets all the girls and that's totally incompatible with the lifestyle of an alcoholic, which he is." He said Bond would be classified in the "top whack" of problem drinkers and would be at high risk of liver damage, an early death and impotence. "So he might be practising safe sex after all," said Dr Davies.

From Russia with vodka He also had a "Drink and Let Drive" habit after consuming 39 units in Casino Royale then crashing in a high-speed car chase and needing two weeks in hospital. On his biggest bender, Bond had 50 units in a single day during From Russia With Love and only 13 days in all the novels were free of the sauce. Charting James Bond's drinking habits with age, he starts off drinking heavily in Casino Royale (1953) before seemingly starting to get his life in order as he heads towards Goldfinger (1959). However, his intake starts to soar again and peaks at 132 units a week in You Only Live Twice (1964). The researchers argue this may be a response to the death of his wife a year earlier in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. They say the study is light-hearted, and did not interfere with their day jobs, but raises an important message about alcohol. Excessive alcohol consumption is thought to cause 2.5 million deaths every year around the world. "The level of functioning as displayed in the books is inconsistent with the physical, mental, and indeed sexual functioning expected from someone drinking this much alcohol," the doctors said.

Is James Bond a lush? - The Margin - MarketWatch Notes on the news beyond Wall Street Is James Bond a lush? December 13, 2013, 3:53 PM ET Share: In “Die Another Day,” James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) enjoys one of many martinis. A new study by a group of British doctors raises the possibility that James Bond is an alcoholic. After analyzing the 14 Ian Fleming novels that feature the beloved fictional spy, the doctors concluded that 007 downs about five vodka martinis a day, which equates to four times the recommended allowance for men. “Although we appreciate the societal pressures to consume alcohol when working with international terrorists and high stakes gamblers, we would advise Bond to be referred for further assessment of his alcohol intake,” the doctors wrote in their “clinical” evaluation, published in the British Medical Journal. Some details from the study (and don’t miss the infographic breakdown ) : Bond does the most drinking in “You Only Live Twice” and the least in “Man with the Golden Gun.” His biggest drinking day?

He had the equivalent of more than 20 martinis in a single day in “From Russia With Love.” In all the Fleming novels, Bond abstains from drinking on only 13 days. Of course, Bond is hardly the only fictional character to quaff a few of a favorite drink. Think the lead characters in “Sex and the City” and their affection for cosmos. Or Homer Simpson and Duff beer. In other words, there might be a few more studies waiting to be done. Just because I make myself martinis while taking a bath, you think I have a problem? Sean Connery in Dr. No (United Artists) “No Mr. Bond—I expect you to die … slowly, of cirrhosis or other alcohol-related complications.” “James Bond’s weekly alcohol intake is over four times the advisable maximum alcohol consumption for an adult male,” concludes a real paper in a real medical journal—a good one! the British Medical Journal !—by real researchers regarding a fake character.

“He is at considerable risk of developing alcoholic liver disease, cirrhosis, impotence,” they add, as if this were not 007 they were talking about, “and other alcohol-related health problems, together with being at serious risk of injury or death because of his drinking.” Advertisement The paper, by three U.K. physicians, is ostensibly trying to call attention to the problems associated with heavy drinking—and take some of the shine off of the super spy ’s more deleterious habits. After all, they note, 2.5 million deaths around the world every year are attributable to alcohol consumption. Still, if the researchers want to be accused of hating fun, this was probably a solid move. To determine whether the character really is an alcoholic, they conducted a semi-scientific survey of all 14 of Ian Fleming’s Bond books (not the movies ). They determined that he averaged 92 alcoholic units per week, which amounts to four times the recommended limits for an adult male. Many studies have indicated people tend to underestimate their own drinking substantially, implying that his self-reported numbers may not even reflect the real seriousness of the problem.

On days on which Bond was “able” to drink—when he wasn’t, say, imprisoned by a dastardly, booze-hating supervillain—he consumed some alcoholic beverage on 75 out of 87.5 days. These numbers, they say, are conservative estimates. If Bond were to be evaluated using the CAGE questionnaire for alcoholism, he would score 3 out of 4—enough to merit an intervention, certainly. There are times when Bond admits to feeling better when he drinks less, other fictional characters have noted or criticized his drinking, and he feels the need for a morning “eye opener” every now and then. As for feeling “bad or guilty about your drinking,” as the CAGE questionnaire also asks? Well, the doctors conclude: “It is likely that an international spy and assassin cannot spend too much time worrying about remorse, so we are not surprised that there are no documented instances of alcohol-associated guilt.” If you’re curious, the thrilling adventure during which Bond drank the least is Man With the Golden Gun (41.5 alcoholic units), though his weekly consumption is lowest in Goldfinger (52.4 units per week).

The highest total and weekly average come in You Only Live Twice (225.8 units, 132 units per week). What about Bond’s drink of choice? Our very concerned medical investigators say that the most iconic aspect of James Bond’s drinking habits is also related to severe alcohol problems. His preference for a “shaken” martini may be related, they believe, to an alcohol-induced tremor that affects 007’s ability to actually stir a drink. Before you complain about wasting researchers’ time and money on something this useless, note that the authors sought no funding for the study, and one of them already owned the books. They even saved themselves some time by employing a shortcut, wherein one person read half the books and another read the other half. Ideally, from a scientific point of view, both would read all the books and average out their calculations of beverages consumed. “Unfortunately, limited resources and other clinical, social, intellectual, and cultural commitments meant a more pragmatic approach had to be taken.” In other words, literally everything took precedence over this colossal waste of our time. So, is Bond useful as a parable against alcoholism?

Sure, he has 39 units of alcohol in Casino Royale before getting in a car and engaging in a high speed chase that leaves him in a hospital, which the researchers hope “was a salutatory lesson.” But, well, the man has not lost yet, and somehow remains the “best shot in the Secret Service,” so … shaken martinis all around, I guess, tremor be damned. Dave Levitan is a freelance science journalist and the author of the forthcoming book Not a Scientist: How Politicians Mistake, Misrepresent, and Utterly Mangle Science. Follow him on Twitter . James Bond at risk of early death from alcohol, study says - CNN.com James Bond at risk of early death from alcohol, study says By Elizabeth Landau, CNN Updated 9:03 PM ET, Thu December 12, 2013 Chat with us in Facebook Messenger. Find out what's happening in the world as it unfolds. James Bond may want to reconsider his drinking habits, a new study says. Story highlights Study looked at 14 James Bond novels About 2.5 million deaths worldwide are attributable to alcohol use Researchers project Bond could die at age 56 because of alcohol use Alcohol. Bond's alcohol.

The British spy James Bond may routinely get himself out of dangerous situations with skill and charm, but his body may be suffering all the while because of his drinking habits. British researchers predict he could die from alcohol-related causes, such as liver damage, by age 56. Scientists wanted to examine just how much alcohol the famous fictional secret agent consumes, and what effect that could have on his health. They published a study , led by Graham Johnson of the emergency department of Royal Derby Hospital, in the British Medical Journal's Christmas edition, which features a variety of offbeat research papers. Researchers found Bond's weekly alcohol consumption totaled 92 units a week, which is more than four times what doctors recommend. A real person would not be able to carry out such complicated tasks and function as well as Bond does while maintaining such habits, they conclude. A unit of alcohol is defined as 10 milliliters or 8 grams of pure ethanol in the United Kingdom. For some perspective on that, a bottle of wine is nine units, and a pint of beer is three, according to this study.

The finding of 92 units a week could actually be the low end of the truth, as studies have shown that "people generally underestimate their alcohol consumption by about 30%," the study said, noting other research has demonstrated that health surveys don't account for about half of all alcohol sold. In other words, Bond may be drinking much more than the large quantities portrayed in the books. "We advise an immediate referral for further assessment and treatment," the study authors wrote, as well as "a reduction in alcohol to safe levels." 10 hotels featured in James Bond movies Two study authors analyzed all 14 original James Bond books by Ian Fleming, focusing on the number of days on which alcohol-related events were described. But each of them only read half the books, representing a shortcoming of the study, which was conducted in "the study authors' homes, in a comfy chair." They found that in "From Russia with Love," on the third day of the story, Bond drank about 50 units of alcohol -- the highest daily consumption in the collection of stories. It also appears that the spy's alcohol intake dropped around the middle of his career, but then picked back up gradually toward the end.

Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond "Spectre," the 24th James Bond movie, hits theaters in November, more than 50 years after the first film in the popular series, "Dr. No." "Spectre" stars Daniel Craig as 007, with turns from Christoph Waltz, Monica Bellucci, Lea Seydoux and Ralph Fiennes. Look back at highlights of the character's career, including the Bond girls and villains: Hide Caption 1 of 34 Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond Sean Connery plays James Bond with Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder in 1962's "Dr. No," the film that launched the franchise. Hide Caption 2 of 34 Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond Connery rehearses a scene from the James Bond Film "From Russia With Love" with the Italian actress Daniela Bianchi playing Tatiana Romanova, while director Terence Young helps the actors.

Hide Caption 3 of 34 Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond British composer John Barry, creator of the James Bond theme music, at his piano in December 1967. Hide Caption 4 of 34 Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond Sean Connery's Bond is up to his tricks with actress Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore during the filming of "Goldfinger" in 1964. Hide Caption 5 of 34 Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond English actress Shirley Eaton covered in gold in the James Bond film "Goldfinger," directed by Guy Hamilton and starring Sean Connery. Hide Caption 6 of 34 Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond A scene from the James Bond film "Thunderball" with Sean Connery, Claudine Auger, as Domino Derval, and Adolfo Celi playing Emilio Largo. Hide Caption 7 of 34 Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond Sean Connery and Luciana Paoluzzi as Fiona Volpe being photographed in bed on the set of the James Bond film, "Thunderball" in 1965.

Hide Caption 8 of 34 Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond Actress Claudine Auger poses smoking a cigarette for her role as Domino Derval in the James Bond film, "Thunderball," directed by Terence Young, 1965. (Photo by Archive Photos/Getty Images) Hide Caption Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond Connery surrouned by bathing beuties in "You Only Live Twice" in 1966. Hide Caption 10 of 34 Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond Donald Pleasence in character as Ernst Stavro Blofeld, holding a white cat on the set of "You Only Live Twice," in November 1966. Hide Caption 11 of 34 Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond Co-producers Harry Saltzman and Albert "Cubby" Broccoli, right, on the set of "You Only Live Twice" in October 1966.

Hide Caption 12 of 34 Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond George Lazenby with actress Diana Rigg, who played Teresa di Vicenzo, during a press conference for "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" in London, in October 1968. Hide Caption 13 of 34 Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond George Lazenby offers co-star Helena Ronee a light during the filming of "'On Her Majesty's Secret Service" in the Swiss Alps in October 1968. Hide Caption 14 of 34 Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond The cast of "Live and Let Die," in 1973, from front center, clockwise, Roger Moore as Bond, Jane Seymour as Solitaire, Julius Harris as Tee Hee, Geoffrey Holder as Baron Samedi, Earl Jolly Brown as Whisper and Yaphet Kotto as Kananga. Hide Caption Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond Pierce Brosnan poses for a publicity shot for "GoldenEye" in 1995.

Hide Caption Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond Roger Moore hams it up during the filming of "Live and Let Die," in 1973. Hide Caption Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond Roger Moore relaxes on location for the filming of "Live and Let Die," in 1973. Hide Caption Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond Roger Moore drinks a martini, James Bond's signature drink. Hide Caption 19 of 34 Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond British pop singer Lulu poses with the gun from "The Man With The Golden Gun" after being signed to sing the film's title song. Hide Caption 20 of 34 Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond A replica gun from the 1974 James Bond movie, "The Man with the Golden Gun," autographed by Roger Moore.

Hide Caption 21 of 34 Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond A Walther PPK handgun is held in front of a poster of the film "For Your Eyes Only." Hide Caption 22 of 34 Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond Roger Moore poses with the Bond Girls from the film "View to a Kill" in 1984. Hide Caption 23 of 34 Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond Roger Moore on set during the filming of "A View to a Kill" in Paris, France in August 1984. Hide Caption 24 of 34 Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond Timothy Dalton and Maryam d'Abo as Kara Milovy pose for a publicity still for the 1987 film "The Living Daylights." Hide Caption 25 of 34 Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond Director Timothy Dalton arrives at the Deauville airport in France to promote "The Living Daylights" in September 1987.

Hide Caption 26 of 34 Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond Pierce Brosnan and Desmond Llewelyn, as Q, on the set of "The World Is Not Enough." Hide Caption 27 of 34 Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond Pierce Brosnan with Malaysian actress Michelle Yeoh, playng Wai Lin, pose on a motorcylce for "Tomorrow Never Dies" in 1997. Hide Caption 28 of 34 Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond Pierce Brosnan poses on an Aston Martin before starting filming on "Die Another Day" in January 2002. Hide Caption 29 of 34 Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond Daniel Craig poses in 2005 after being unveiled as the next actor to play the legendary British secret agent James Bond for "Casino Royale" in October 2005. Hide Caption 30 of 34 Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond Daniel Craig greets a naval officer as he is unveiled as the new James Bond in October 2005.

Hide Caption 31 of 34 Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond Daniel Craig and Olga Kurylenko attend the Japanese premier of "Quantum of Solace" in November 2008 in Tokyo, Japan. Hide Caption 32 of 34 Photos: Decades of Bond -- James Bond "Skyfall," the 23rd James Bond movie, opened in theaters in 2012. Craig continued to lead the film as Bond, joined by Naomie Harris, Judi Dench and Javier Bardem. Hide Caption Were James Bond’s drinks shaken because of alcohol induced tremor? | The BMJ Were James Bond’s drinks shaken because of alcohol induced tremor? CCBYNC Open access Were James Bond’s drinks shaken because of alcohol induced tremor?

BMJ 2013; 347 doi: (Published 12 December 2013) Cite this as: BMJ 2013;347:f7255 Graham Johnson, ST5 emergency medicine 1 , Indra Neil Guha, clinical associate professor of hepatology 2 , Patrick Davies, consultant paediatric intensive care 3 1Emergency Department, Royal Derby Hospital, Derby 2NIHR Nottingham Digestive Diseases Biomedical Research Unit, University of Nottingham 3Paediatric Intensive Care Department, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham Correspondence to: P Davies patrick.davies{at}nuh.nhs.uk Accepted 27 November 2013 Abstract Objective To quantify James Bond’s consumption of alcohol as detailed in the series of novels by Ian Fleming. Design Retrospective literature review. Setting The study authors’ homes, in a comfy chair. Participants Commander James Bond, 007; Mr Ian Lancaster Fleming. Main outcome measures Weekly alcohol consumption by Commander Bond. Methods All 14 James Bond books were read by two of the authors. Contemporaneous notes were taken detailing every alcoholic drink taken.

Predefined alcohol unit levels were used to calculate consumption. Days when Bond was unable to consume alcohol (such as through incarceration) were noted. Results After exclusion of days when Bond was unable to drink, his weekly alcohol consumption was 92 units a week, over four times the recommended amount. His maximum daily consumption was 49.8 units. He had only 12.5 alcohol free days out of 87.5 days on which he was able to drink. Conclusions James Bond’s level of alcohol intake puts him at high risk of multiple alcohol related diseases and an early death. The level of functioning as displayed in the books is inconsistent with the physical, mental, and indeed sexual functioning expected from someone drinking this much alcohol. We advise an immediate referral for further assessment and treatment, a reduction in alcohol consumption to safe levels, and suspect that the famous catchphrase “shaken, not stirred” could be because of alcohol induced tremor affecting his hands. Introduction Excess alcohol consumption is a societal and health problem throughout the world. Around 4% of deaths worldwide are related to alcohol, with 2.5 million deaths a year attributable to its use.

1 Death is most commonly caused by injury, liver cirrhosis, poisoning, and malignancy. In the entertainment world, however, excess alcohol consumption is often portrayed in a positive, even glamorous, light. Of particular note are the drinking habits of James Bond, the quintessential British spy in the novels of Ian Fleming. He is renowned for enjoying cigarettes, alcohol, and women, with a catchphrase of “vodka martini—shaken, not stirred.” James Bond has often been seen as a strong role model. He is admired for his performance under pressure and his ability to be master of all situations he encounters. We were struck, while reading the original James Bond books, that his alcohol consumption seemed rather high and wondered whether he would realistically have the capacity to perform (in all aspects of his life) 2 3 at his high level of alcohol intake. Previous analyses of Bond’s drinking behaviour have examined the types of alcohol he has drunk and the total number of drinks 4 5 but have never studied the number of units of alcohol this represents and the potential health effects of this. Ideally vodka martinis should be stirred, not shaken.

6 That Bond would make such an elementary mistake in his preferences seemed incongruous with his otherwise impeccable mastery of culinary etiquette. We examined Bond’s alcohol consumption to determine whether he might have been unable to stir his drinks because of the persistent shaking of alcohol induced tremor, making it more socially acceptable to ask for his drinks “shaken, not stirred.” Methods Two authors read all 14 original James Bond books either on paper or on a Kindle (Amazon UK) device between January and July 2013. They kept contemporaneous notes of all alcohol consumption, as documented in the books. Each author read seven books. Bond’s alcohol intake was calculated by the number of days on which action was described. We used pre-formed definitions of units (table 1 ⇓ ), based on definitions provided by , 7 a United Kingdom National Health Service (NHS) alcohol awareness website. In the UK a unit of alcohol is defined as 10 ml or 8 g of pure ethanol. For cocktails we obtained recipes from Wikipedia. Spirit volumes were taken from previous research into actual poured volumes. 8 9 10 When drinks were shared, an equal split was presumed at all times.

The last five terms in table 1 were used only if there was no specific mention of which drinks were consumed. We considered the unit and quantities to be reasonable but relatively conservative estimates in the context of his overall drinking habits. It is likely that these are an underestimate rather than an overestimate of his intake on these few occasions. Table 1 View inline Data were then analysed by day. When days were not described or described in only brief detail, they were not taken in to account. Days when Bond was unable to drink (usually because of incarceration or injury) were logged. We excluded The Spy Who Loved Me from analysis as it is written in the first person by a waitresses involved with the criminal underworld, and Bond appears for only eight hours as a peripheral figure. The 14th book, Octopussy and the Living Daylights is a compendium of short stories and was also excluded as it is not one coherent detailed story. Results Across 12 of the 14 books, 123.5 days were described, though Bond was unable to consume alcohol for 36 days because of external pressures (admission to hospital, incarceration, rehabilitation).

During this time he was documented as consuming 1150.15 units of alcohol (table 2) ⇓ . Taking into account days when he was unable to drink, his average alcohol consumption was 92 units a week (1150 units over 87.5 days). Inclusion of the days incarcerated brings his consumption down to 65.2 units a week. His maximum daily consumption was 49.8 units (From Russia with Love day 3). He had 12.5 alcohol free days out of the 87.5 days on which he was able to drink. Table 2 View inline Furthermore, when we plotted Bond’s alcohol consumption over time, his intake dropped in the middle of his career but gradually increased towards the end (figure ⇓ ). This consistent but variable lifetime drinking pattern has been reported in patients with alcoholic liver disease. 11 James Bond’s weekly alcohol consumption by year of book publication Statistics Descriptive statistics alone have been performed. Discussion We have shown that James Bond’s alcohol consumption, while on his various missions for Her Majesty’s Secret Service is, on average, between 65 and 92 units a week.

There is only one indication of his alcohol consumption while not on a mission. During a medical assessment in Thunderball he is documented as drinking half a bottle of spirits a day, equivalent to 105 units a week. There are also occasional references to hangovers during non-mission times in the books. We therefore conclude that his drinking during missions is roughly comparable with his “office days.” Many studies have shown that people generally underestimate their alcohol consumption by around 30%, implying that Bond’s could be as high as 130 units a week. It is unclear whether having a third party describing one’s alcohol intake would make stated consumption more or less accurate. Recent research implies that half of all alcohol sold is not accounted for by health surveys, so actual consumption could even be double that claimed. 8 9 10 We are unaware of any studies that have shown an overestimation of alcohol consumption. Similarly, when we had to estimate Bond’s consumption (such as “visited a bar”) we have been deliberately conservative. We are therefore confident that our estimates are at the lower end of the truth.

UK NHS recommendations for alcohol consumption state that an adult male should drink no more than 21 units a week, with no more than 4 units on any one day, and at least two alcohol free days a week. 12 James Bond’s drinking habits are well in excess of each of these three parameters. This level of consumption makes him a category 3 drinker (>60 g alcohol/day) and therefore in the highest risk group for malignancies, depression, hypertension, and cirrhosis. 13 14 He is also at high risk of suffering from sexual dysfunction, 15 which would considerably affect his womanising. Data on the average life expectancy of real world secret agents are, not surprisingly, difficult to find. Although some secret service deaths are high profile, there are limited data on a robust denominator for this population. In Moonraker, Bond reflects that he would probably be killed before the age of 45 (the age of mandatory retirement from the “00” section of MI6). Should he not be “killed in action,” his risk of developing many serious pathologies is high.

Deaths from liver cirrhosis occur at a relatively young age in the UK; an average of 59 years, in stark contrast to the other major causes of mortality including respiratory and cardiovascular disease. Rehm and colleagues have shown a dose:response relation with alcohol and development of cirrhosis. Drinking between 65 and 92 units of alcohol a week equates to between 74 g and 105 g of alcohol a day, giving Bond a relative risk of developing liver cirrhosis of between 7 and 16 compared with a lifetime abstainer. 14 Work by Hart and colleagues would suggest that his relative risk of all cause mortality is greater than 1.74 (95% confidence interval 1.47 to 2.06) and particularly from stroke (2.33, 1.31 to 4.14) and alcohol related causes (3.72, 98 to 7.00). 16 . Presuming survival despite the high risk nature of his profession, we anticipate that James Bond’s life expectancy would be significantly reduced.

In fact, the author Ian Fleming died aged 56 of heart disease after a life notable for alcohol and tobacco excess. We suspect that Bond’s life expectancy would be similar. High stress jobs are often associated with high alcohol intake, 17 and it would therefore be logical to assume that these professions are also associated with a high alcohol related mortality. An analysis by the website businessinsider.com , however, showed that actually bartenders and shoe-machine operators had the highest alcohol related deaths. 18 They identified that sailors were the sixth highest risk, with a relative risk of 1.75 for an alcohol related death. Bond was, first and foremost, a sailor, so his drinking habits might have their root in his original profession. It is well recognised that alcohol increases the risk of driving related incidents, and this risk increases from blood alcohol level of 0.04%. The UK sets its limit at 0.08%, which is the same as the US, but higher than that of much of Europe and Australia. 1 No such limits existed in the 1950s and throughout the books Bond is noted to have several drinks, enough to put him well over this limit and then drive.

In Goldfinger, for example, he drinks 18 units while having drinks and dinner with Auric Goldfinger before then driving home. In Casino Royale he drinks over 39 units before engaging in a high speed car chase, losing control, and spending 14 days in hospital. We hope that this was a salutatory lesson. Such behaviour is typical of Bond. Despite his alcohol consumption, he is still described as being able to carry out highly complicated tasks and function at an extraordinarily high level. This is likely to be pure fiction. It was noted that Bond’s intake decreased in the middle part of his career but increased again towards the latter years. Consistently high but variable levels of drinking have already been documented in heavy drinkers, 11 but one potential reason for the increase in the later books could be the death of his new wife in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service in 1963. This could explain the peak of his drinking in 1964, as he tried to find a quantum of solace in alcohol, before returning to his more usual level of consumption in 1965 when he was pitted against Francisco Scaramanga.

It would also match the findings of Eigenbrodt and colleagues that in all ethnicities together alcohol intake will slightly decrease with age, but in white men it will actually increase, at least up until the age of 60. 19 Connoisseur or alcoholic? A commonly used screening tool to identify alcohol dependence is the “CAGE” questionnaire, 20 where two yes responses should prompt further investigation: Have you ever felt you needed to Cut down on your drinking? Have people Annoyed you by criticising your drinking? Have you ever felt Guilty about drinking? Have you ever felt you needed a drink first thing in the morning (Eye opener) to steady your nerves or to get rid of a hangover? Applying these to Bond, the authors would score him 3 out of 4. In “Thunderball” he recognises his high alcohol intake and that he feels better drinking less. He also admits to having an eye opener on some mornings (the “Prairie Oyster”). Also in Thunderball, together with the Living Daylights, he becomes annoyed when challenged about his drinking by his boss “M”.

It is likely that an international spy and assassin cannot spend too much time worrying about remorse, so we are not surprised that there are no documented instances of alcohol associated guilt. The most common cause of tremor is essential tremor. 21 This is typically postural and will most commonly affect the upper limbs, although lower limb involvement is recognised. The role of alcohol is somewhat uncertain, with some evidence that in lower doses it can be beneficial in essential tremor, while others propose that those with high alcohol consumption are four times more likely to suffer with essential tremor. 22 Cerebellar lesions are well known to cause an intention tremor and cerebellar tremor is considered a distinct clinical entity. 23 While strokes are a more common cause of cerebellar lesions (of which Bond is at increased risk 13 ), chronic exposure to toxins, such as alcohol, that cause more generalised damage to the cerebellum can also cause a cerebellar tremor. We have shown that Bond’s alcohol intake is of sufficiently high frequency and duration to cause such cerebellar damage.

Limitations Ideally each of the authors would have read all of the books and reached their own total for Bond’s alcohol consumption, allowing a κ statistic to be calculated and a consensus amount for each book. Unfortunately limited resources and other clinical, social, intellectual, and cultural commitments meant a more pragmatic approach had to be taken, and seven books each were allocated over the six month study period. On several occasions estimates of consumption have had to be used as Mr Fleming was not precise with his writing. The authors have taken reasonable measures to ensure that, when necessary, conservative estimates have been made. Of the total 1150 units drunk, only 190 units (16.5%) were accounted for by these terms, therefore if the estimations were inaccurate this would make a minimal change to the total. Similarly, when it was mentioned that drinks were shared, we thought it appropriate to assume an equal share of the drinks, regardless of who he was sharing with. One of the study authors was familiar with the books and had read them before the study period. While it was noted at that time that the consumption of alcohol was an important part of Bond’s life, detailed notes on the magnitude of his consumption were not taken.

It did, however, inform the original study idea. Conclusions James Bond’s weekly alcohol intake is over four times the advisable maximum alcohol consumption for an adult male. He is at considerable risk of developing alcoholic liver disease, cirrhosis, impotence, and other alcohol related health problems, together with being at serious risk of injury or death because of his drinking. Although we appreciate the societal pressures to consume alcohol when working with international terrorists and high stakes gamblers, we would advise Bond be referred for further assessment of his alcohol intake and reduce his intake to safe levels. We conclude that James Bond was unlikely to be able to stir his drinks, even if he would have wanted to, because of likely alcohol induced tremor. ⇓ What is already known on this topic Author and ex-Naval intelligence operative Ian Lancaster Fleming died at a relatively young age from a myocardial infarction and enjoyed smoking and drinking to excess. It has been postulated that the habits of his literary character, James Bond, had habits similar to his own James Bond’s consumption and in depth knowledge of a wide variety of alcoholic drinks is well documented.

What has been unclear to date is whether he was more a connoisseur or a chronic alcoholic What this study adds Bond consumed an average of 92 units a week, yet he is still described as being the “best shot in the Secret Service.” People who drink at this level are severely functionally inhibited and unless this refers to shots of various spirits, this assertion is likely to be pure fantasy The security of the British Isles depends on our Secret Service agents performing at their highest ability; quantifying the alcohol intake of their “top” spy might be an indicator of the consumption of other agents and should prompt further enquiry and support Notes Cite this as: BMJ 2013;347:f7255 Footnotes Contributors: GJ read half of the books, and drafted and edited the paper. ING edited the paper and added much hepatology advice. PD developed the hypothesis, read half the books, and edited the manuscript. Funding: No funding was sought for this study. The original books were already owned by two of the study authors.

Competing Interests: All authors have completed the ICMJE uniform disclosure form at and declare: no support from any organisation for the submitted work; no financial relationships with any organisations that might have an interest in the submitted work in the previous three years; no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work. Ethical approval: The impact of this study on fictional British spies was thought to be minimal and therefore ethical approval was not sought for this study.No consent has been sought from the Commander Bond chronicled in the original Ian Fleming novels. The barrier to this chiefly being his fictional nature meaning he is unable to give valid consent. Data sharing: Technical appendix and dataset are available from the corresponding author. This is an Open Access article distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 3.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: .

References What James Bond would be like in real life Email a friend A GROUP of British doctors have revealed that if James Bond were a real person, he'd be less of the world-saving womaniser - in fact, he'd most likely be dead. 007 boozed so much that in reality he would have had the tremulous hands of a chronic alcoholic, according to an offbeat study published by the British Medical Journal (BMJ). If statistics are any guide, Bond would have died from alcohol- and tobacco-related diseases in his mid-fifties, it says. Better put out that cigarette, eh Bond?Source:Supplied And the paper darkly questions Bond's supposed success as a womaniser. Given the vast quantities of drink he consumed before bedding a conquest, the evidence may not have stood up, it says. The conclusions are made by a trio of British doctors who read all 14 of the original James Bond books authored by Ian Fleming, noting when and what the character drank.

Two of the novels were excluded: The Spy Who Loved Me, written in the first person by a waitress and thus deemed an unreliable source; and Octopussy and The Living Daylights, a compendium of short stories that also fell short of the mark because it was not one single coherent tale. Doctors suggest Bond's female conquests would slightly more ... limp ... in ...Source:News Limited That left 12 novels, which yielded 123.5 days for analysis. Of these, 36 days were booze-free because Bond was incarcerated or in hospital. This leaves 87.5 days, during which Britain's top spy glugged down a whopping 1150 units of alcohol, or 92 units a week - four times the recommended amount. "James Bond's level of alcohol intake puts him at high risk of multiple alcohol-related diseases and an early death," says the tongue-in-cheek investigation.

"The level of function as displayed in the books is inconsistent with the physical, mental and indeed sexual functioning expected from someone drinking this much alcohol." On a cruel note, it concludes: "James Bond was unlikely to be able to stir his drinks, even if he would have wanted to, because of likely alcohol-induced tremor."

Question: What fictional character was diagnosed as an alcoholic by the British Medical Journal, in 2013?
Answer: James Bond