# malaria and gin/tonics

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malaria-and-gin-tonics/189938>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 21, 2003, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malaria-and-gin-tonics/189938 "2003-07-21T15:50:07Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![drhess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@drhess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drhess)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malaria-and-gin-tonics/189938/1 "2003-07-21T15:50:07Z")

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Is there enough quinine (sp?) in a gin and tonic to prevent malaria? I was told that this is what gives it the bitter taste and that it’s preventative measures were why it was the “drink of the UK Empire.”

Any truth to this? :rolleyes:

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**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malaria-and-gin-tonics/189938/2 "2003-07-21T16:15:35Z")

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[http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a990813.html](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a990813.html)

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**Author:** ![drhess](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/94ad74/32.png) [@drhess](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drhess)\
**Post date:** [July 21, 2003, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/malaria-and-gin-tonics/189938/3 "2003-07-21T20:04:55Z")

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Thanks. I did a search and that didn’t come up. Anyway, he says that prevention is why it’s in tonic water, but that it won’t work. Does that mean they just thought it would? Or that it was a higher percent of content back then. I don’t get it.