The alcohol enabled the socialising. I feel many of you equate a few relaxing beers with friends with necking a bottle bottle of vodka by yourself just to keep the shotgun from your mouth. I was a nervous, anxious and low-confidence teen. That melted away after a couple of beers and introduced me to a life I wouldn’t have had on my own steam.

Well I’m 49 and was healthy at my last medical, so here’s hoping.

I have friends who have found it incredibly detrimental to their lives, so absolutely not recommended for all by any means.

Mentally it’s improved my life immeasurably. It took my out of my teenage shell, helped me socialise, introduced me to countless new experiences and people.

I’m lucky in that it hasn’t been problematic for me. Yes, it’s bad for you physically. A lot of things are. But I’d rather have it in my life than without.

That’s just my lived experience and I’d in no way refute the science. But I’d push back a little on the somewhat puritanical Alcohol = bad that many here sometines sanctimonious indulge in.

Beer. Genuinely. Drinks with friends (not daily or problematical) is, in my opinion, the absolute spice of life. It’s not for everyone and the downsides are well documented and undeniable, but it’s always worked for me.