Good read, aside from reliving social anxieties, there is also the self-medicating aspect; since alcohol dulls anxieties in general some people claim that it actually has a net positive effect on public mental health, highly speculative, but worth considering.
A mention of a study which excluded sober alcoholics, and hypothesizes that a little alcohol is good because it makes socializing more likely.
Good read, aside from reliving social anxieties, there is also the self-medicating aspect; since alcohol dulls anxieties in general some people claim that it actually has a net positive effect on public mental health, highly speculative, but worth considering.