I know there's a huge community of Medium writers that have overcome addiction and publish stories about their recoveries here, but most people that use alcohol won't become addicted. I had to stop or it was game over for me, but I have noticed that a lot of non-addicted people are turning their backs to alcohol consumption lately because they're realizing it's not their jam anymore, or because it's simply not worth it. Maybe 1000s of years of history is enough for some to defend or validate its use, but at the end of the day, it's a drug. Even though most people don't become addicted, it's a highly addictive drug that sends more people to hospital emergency rooms than any illegal drug. I have no wish to cancel alcohol, but some transparency in the way it's marketed could save a lot of heartache. The demand for it wouldn't be fazed if we nixed the marketing completely, but there's ba-zillions to be made by encouraging its use.
Best to you moving forward and thanks for sharing your experience and perspective. ✌️