ABSTRACT
Alcohol is a socially accepted legal commodity that is widely used throughout the world. Drinking alcohol is a custom of almost every society (Bacon, 1962), and alcohol itself is valued as a food, medicine, promoter of fellowship, and a part of ritual functions (Lemert, 1991). However, public attitudes toward its use are often confused, paradoxical, and predominantly focused on excessive use and related problems (Zinberg & Bean, 1981). One reason proposed by Bacon (1962) for the focus on problems is that modern society has eliminated alcohol’s value as a food and medicine, which were important reasons for its use in primitive society. The lack of significant reasons to consume alcohol and the inability of societies to define standards of acceptable/appropriate consumption and to differentiate this from unacceptable/inappropriate use have resulted in many dilemmas.
