The researchers also took issue with Bond’s preferred drink.
“Ideally vodka martinis should be stirred, not shaken,” they write, adding that it may have been “more socially acceptable” for Bond to ask for a shaken drink in order to hide his tremors.
Study authors calculated Bond’s drink intake based on the number of days for which action was described in the books, and estimated the actual amount of alcohol in each drink based on previous research into how much people usually pour.
Of Fleming’s 14 original Bond books, two were excluded from the study – “The Spy Who Loved Me” because Bond appears only briefly, and “Octopussy and the Living Daylights” for being a series of short stories instead of one cohesive tale.
Author Fleming – who also enjoyed smoking and drinking and died at age 56 of a myocardial infarction – may be a cautionary tale for his famous character, the researchers note.
Bond in the books exhibits some of the behavioral signs of alcohol dependence, such as growing testy when his boss questions his drinking, and relying on an “eye opener” when he wakes up in the morning.
“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,” the study concludes.
Credits: nydailynews.com