According to Data, synthehol’s “intoxicating effects can be easily dismissed.” (TNG: “Relics”)
This is what I always took to be the important part, and why they use it on Starfleet ships, even though normal alcohol is obviously common and enjoyed on Earth. It’s a safety concern. Rather than having all your crew rushing to take Sober-Up™ every time there’s a red alert, they drink synthehol, because they can shake it off themselves
I’ve always considered the lack of space drugs to be a network TV concession. Pike uses deadly parsley to cook, I’m sure there are some wild substances you can get on just about any station, and they’ve probably made it into an art form on Earth
They also still have characters like Raffi who ruin their lives with drugs. You’re telling me in the 24th century, you can create an entirely new spine for someone or make perfect clones or come up with a cure for an ancient disease in a week but you can’t cure basic drug addiction?
Yeah, that was in the first season and why she stopped being Picard’s assistant. Then there was a callback to it in the fourth season where she had to take a drug as part of her covert activities with Worf.
This is what I always took to be the important part, and why they use it on Starfleet ships, even though normal alcohol is obviously common and enjoyed on Earth. It’s a safety concern. Rather than having all your crew rushing to take Sober-Up™ every time there’s a red alert, they drink synthehol, because they can shake it off themselves
Then they should be able to shake off smoking some syntheweed.
I’ve always considered the lack of space drugs to be a network TV concession. Pike uses deadly parsley to cook, I’m sure there are some wild substances you can get on just about any station, and they’ve probably made it into an art form on Earth
They also still have characters like Raffi who ruin their lives with drugs. You’re telling me in the 24th century, you can create an entirely new spine for someone or make perfect clones or come up with a cure for an ancient disease in a week but you can’t cure basic drug addiction?
She did? I thought she was just an off-grid hippie. I didn’t find Picard particularly memorable though
Yeah, that was in the first season and why she stopped being Picard’s assistant. Then there was a callback to it in the fourth season where she had to take a drug as part of her covert activities with Worf.