alcohol is a potent social catalyst, which is the reason for its strong standing in todays culture.

but you have to remember that the working mechanism of alcohol on the brain function is not a very subtle one.

while other drugs seem to tweak and manipulate certain pathways in the brain, alcohol works more like a full force blow to the engine, shutting down the function of different brain areas.

Depending on your genetic makeup, the neurotoxicity of alcohol can have cascade of negative consequences, leading to Alzheimer and other neurogenerative diseases.

Just a couple studys to think about:

https://www.foundmyfitness.com/news/t/alcohol