Skull bashers.

• Author: Sullum, Jacob
• Position: Artifact - Dan Aykroyd's Crystal Head vodka - Brief article

"THE IMAGE of the human skull is the thing that's really problematic for us," a spokesman for the Ontario Liquor Control Board told The Globe and Mail, explaining why the actor Dan Aykroyd's Crystal Head vodka had been banned in the province. "That's an image that's commonly associated with death. It's especially problematic at a time when there are concerns around binge drinking by younger adults, which in some cases unfortunately has resulted in alcohol poisoning."

If skull-shaped liquor bottles remind people of death from alcohol poisoning, you might think they'd deter excessive consumption. But public health paternalists argue that death-related imagery, which serves as a warning when used by the government, serves as an enticement when used by...