Alcohol Prices, Alcohol Statistics and Alcohol Use

*Images updated September 1, 2011

Notice how Alcohol is the first substance listed in the Drugs 0-Z menu? That's because Alcohol is probably the oldest drug known to man. Alcohol is a substance that has provided a variety of functions for people throughout all history. In its early years, Alcohol was used as a medicine. This was mainly because of its analgesic properties, which imply that alcohol was a medicine used to relieve pain. As word spread about Alcohol and its effects, people quickly decided for themselves how much was appropriate.

Alcohol can be found in many forms, though the primary one's which relate to everyday life are beer, wine, and liquor. While no one knows when exactly the beverage was first used, the discovery of late Stone Age beer jugs proves that intentionally fermented beverages existed at least as early as the Neolithic period (circa 10,000 B.C.) (Patrick, 1952, pp. 12-13), and it has been suggested that beer may have preceded bread as a staple (Braidwood et al, 1953); Wine appeared as a finished product in the well known Egyptian pictographs around 4,000 B.C. Wine also appeared during "The Last Supper", the famous painting in which Jesus Christ gave wine to his disciples during their last meal.

Clearly, Alcohol has played an important role in many aspects of our cultures and civilizations. Ranging from religion and worship, to domestic violence and death, people have found many uses for Alcohol. The United States went through a period of thirteen years where it was illegal to sell, manufacture, and transport alcohol for consumption. 1920 to 1933 came to be known as the Prohibition Era, which reflects Americans point of view on the subject matter.

According to National Survey on Drug Use and Health, "Among persons aged 12 or older, whites in 2008 were more likely than other racial/ethnic groups to report current use of Alcohol (56.2 percent). The rates were 47.5 percent for persons reporting two or more races, 43.3 percent for American Indians or Alaska Natives, 43.2 percent for Hispanics, 41.9 percent for blacks, and 37.0 percent for Asians."

References

Patrick, Charles H. Alcohol, Culture, and Society. Durham, NC: Duke University Press, 1952.
Braidwood, Robert J., et al. Symposium: Did man once live by beer alone? American Anthropologist, 1953, 55, 515-526.