The rate of alcoholism says it all. Estimates usually hover around 30% of the population has a used alcohol during sometime in their life in the US. I don’t know how they are specifically defining alcoholism in the studies. Usually, it’s defined by someone who drinks in a way that negatively impacts their life, either a safety hazard, missed work, etc. Also, men have much higher numbers than women.
Too many lushes. Even if someone isn’t an alcoholic, there are too many people dependent on alcohol to have a good time.
Many alcoholics are self medicating, because they have other psychological problems, and all a small scale I think it’s fine; the occasional drink to relax, or get through a hard day; but, as a constant was to medicate it doesn’t work well.
Young people start drinking partly because they want to be “grown up” and the grown ups they see drink. If adults want their kids to not drink, or drink less, then the parents need to be the example. At the same time I think making alcohol taboo until age 21 is ridiculous. I think the law should be 18, and I think within a family letting young people try alcohol shouldn’t be such a big deal. Forbidden fruit can be too tempting.
Some cultures feel drinking every night a glass of wine or beer isn’t really drinking, but I think a big percentage of those people are addicted. If they stopped they would go through at least some form of withdrawal.