[diogenescynic]

I'm not a big drinker at all (probably less than 4 alcoholic drinks a year), but I don't think sobriety is the default or even really the norm for most civilizations/societies. Alcohol especially is a social lubricant which is useful for meeting new people when you're younger and other countries drink beer and wine as a bigger part of their culture/tradition/socialization--but they also tend to drink less excessively than Americans. It's also a way for people to celebrate and blow off steam at the end of the week. I think alcohol has always had a huge place in society and I don't think sobriety is the default for most people--even if I don't personally enjoy it that much.