[soundwave106]

Right, I understand the personal opinion. I'm just explaining why I feel alcohol has less stigma (aside from obvious historical class / race bias) and probably always will.

By "more than just a drug, it's a food", I mean in usage. It's made with food. People cook with alcoholic beverages all the time. A large part of some alcohol culture is pairing alcoholic beverages with food. When cooking with alcohol, a large percentage of the intoxicant is boiled away, so there is something to the flavor contribution as well. It makes sense given that it's a fermented food. (I do feel it is somewhat acquired, but a lot of foods are to be honest.)

Some people do binge on 4 or more sodas at a time. Some American stores sell 100-128 oz to-go soda containers after all. :) Even the "smaller" 7-11 Double Big Gulp, at 64 ounces, is over 5 standard serving (12 ounce) soda cans. Account less for ice, but still I bet it's over 4. Soda binging may not quite be as bad for your health as ethanol binging, but it's not exactly healthy either. On the other hand, there's nothing really wrong with a standard size soda every now and then. It is "empty calories" (like ethanol) but there's room for treats in life.

Many alcohol watering holes aren't exactly dens of moderation (4 drinks in a night really isn't). I am personally wonder if the "benefits of 1 to 2 drinks" is more the benefits of a moderate lifestyle in all aspects of life.